Op-Ed – East of 52 News

The Golden Retriever Who Wanted a Tax Break

Golden retriever sits at a desk surrounded by tax forms, receipts, a calculator, and an IRS-labeled box.

A lawsuit asks the IRS to treat a dog as a “dependent.” The legal problem is easy. The policy problem is worse.

Rethinking Charter Oversight: A Path Toward Fairness, Representation, and Educational Integrity

A photorealistic scene of a schoolroom table with stacks of U.S. cash, a calculator, pencils, manila folders, and a rubber stamp in focus; empty student desks and an American flag are softly blurred in the background.

California’s charter dilemma isn’t about charters—it’s about who oversees them. This blueprint replaces district authorizers with independent regional boards, returns oversight fees to public benefit, gives charter families a voice, and stabilizes schools by ending political whiplash and conflicts of interest.

Stop Calling It Choice: Public Funds Deserve Public Standards

A sunlit school gymnasium with voting booths lined up and a child standing alone in the center, evoking themes of public accountability, education policy, and democratic process.

Charter schools were created in the spirit of innovation and flexibility—but with billions in public funds flowing into private hands and virtually no voter accountability, the promise of “choice” now comes at the expense of public trust, transparency, and educational equity.

Inside the Arena: A Reporter’s Reflection

Stadium crowd stands, raising black “Turning Point” signs; red-white-blue outfits fill the seats during the Charlie Kirk memorial in Glendale, Arizona.

From the floor, I did a slow 360 and felt chills rip through me. The crowd rose, sang, embraced, and the emotion hit like a tidal wave—love, admiration, mourning, resolve. Whatever your side, everyone agreed on one thing: to honor a life that changed theirs. It was humbling. It was beautiful. It was a turning point.

The Case for the WNBA: Full Arenas, Real Rivalries, Stars Everywhere

You don’t have to be an NBA diehard. The WNBA already has full houses, bigger broadcast windows, charter flights, expansion on the calendar, and stars worth appointment viewing—here’s why to start watching now.

Call Me Lizzie

An open letter to anyone who needs reminding that journalism isn’t just for those with clipboards and bylines.

East of 52 Launches: A New Voice for Unfiltered, Local Journalism in East County

In a time when independent journalism is disappearing and local issues are too often overlooked, a new publication is stepping in to fill the gap. East of 52 was founded on a simple but urgent principle: Our communities deserve to be informed — not ignored. Built from the ground up by a local resident, this […]