Last weekend’s brief shutdown of our federal government pointed to the hyper-partisanship and paralysis that plagues our federal government.

“Why,” wonder many people, “can’t these people just stop arguing and start doing the people’s work?”

Ironically, just this week the National Association of Non-Partisan Reformers (NANR) announced its launch. It’s a group of individuals and election reform organizations dedicated to increasing electoral competition and voter choice.

With the second annual Women's March taking place this past weekend, feminists nationwide came forward to resist the Trump administration's actions against women.

However, one obvious change that would impact many women's lives for the better was often ignored: the move to a single-payer health care system.

For San Diego sports fans, 2018 couldn't come fast enough.

After losing their NFL team in 2017 to a city to the north, news that one of the city's most beloved sports icons will enter the MLB hall of fame was a salve on an open wound.

Trevor Hoffman spent 16 years with the Padres, his signature entrance to the iconic rock of AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," a tone setting moment for fans. Hoffman finished his MLB career with 601 saves, which was a record when he retired and he's still second to just the great Mariano Rivera.

On Monday, Donald Trump imposed a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel technology, mostly targeted at Chinese solar panel manufacturers whose prices have become dramatically more competitive in recent years.

This means whatever a foreign company's price is for solar panel parts, the U.S. will make American businesses and households pay 30% more – and it will go right to the U.S. Treasury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Z1YpMQiWA

In a new edition of the Ron Paul Liberty Report, Dr. Ron Paul -- former Republican US representative and presidential candidate from Texas -- discusses an agreement between North and South Korea to march together under one flag for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Paul also discusses the fact that Vice President Mike Pence will be at the games -- mainly expressing concern for what this could mean for ongoing peace talks given Pence's "neo-conservative credentials."

Ever heard this joke? “American politics is like a highway of progress. Republicans stand on the right saying turn right, Democrats stand on the left saying turn left, and Independents stand in the middle, hopelessly waiting to be ran over.”

If you haven’t heard it, you have now, and you probably understand why people think it’s humorous.

In 2016, Donald Trump ignited the imaginations of a vocal and politically-potent-in-Republican-primaries minority of American voters with a promise to build a big beautiful Wall across our border with Mexico.

Publicly and privately, current and former border state officials — like me — scoffed at the idea and dismissed it as a simplistic political ploy. And that part about making Mexico pay for it? Well…that was met with a great deal of amused head-scratching.

Following the departure of Kris Michel to the Mayor's office, the Downtown San Diego Partnership has found her successor. Betsy Brennan has been named the new President and CEO.Originally from New York, Brennan returns to San Diego and is considered an innovative leader and land-use expert.