Daily Business Report-Jan. 29, 2021
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The 50 Most Visited Websites in the World
Visual Capital
If you spend any time online, it’s likely you’re familiar with some of the world’s most visited websites. On today’s internet, a handful of giants have unmatched dominance.
Top Three Websites (Monthly visits):
Google: 92.5 billion
YouTube: 34.6 billion
Facebook: 25.5 billion
Together, the top three websites rake in 152 billion visits monthly, outpacing the next 47 websites combined. What’s more, as the pandemic transformed everything from the way we work, learn, communicate, and shop—a majority of these activities migrated online.
In this new visualization, we look at the most visited websites around the world, drawing data from SimilarWeb (as of November 2020).
Servicing over two trillion search queries annually through its network, Alphabet-owned Google ranks highest with its flagship domain, Google.com. Google derives approximately 80 percent of its earnings from ad revenues.
Coming in second, social networking platform Facebook has a user base of 2.7 billion. On average, users spend 34 minutes on the site daily, while 36 percent of users say it’s also where they get their news—higher than any other social network.
As video conferencing vaulted in demand during the pandemic, Zoom (#15), launched into the most visited websites with 2.7 billion visitors monthly. Similarly, TikTok (#43) became a freshly minted addition.
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Majestic Sunroad team breaks ground
on next Otay Mesa industrial complex
The Majestic Sunroad development partnership has broken ground on Landmark at Otay, its next major industrial develpment in the Otay Mesa area of San Diego.
A 50-acre industrial center at the intersection of State Route 905 and State Route 125, Landmark at Otay will deliver 845,830 square feet of Class A development spread across four buildings ranging in size from 153,630 to 240,975 square feet.
The groundbreaking follows preleasing of the partnership’s recently completed Majestic Sunroad Center, which is nearing full occupancy.
Landmark at Otay will offer function and design features including 32-foot clearance in Building 1 and Building 2, and 36-foot clearance in Building 3 and Building 4.The four spec buildings are scheduled for completion in late 2021. The project is being marketed and leased through the Colliers International San Diego team of Mark Lewkowitz, Chris Holder and Will Holder.
San Diego becomes largest county in U.S.
to commit to zero carbon emissions by 2035
The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move San Diego County to zero carbon emissions, making it the largest county in the U.S. to commit to achieving such a goal by 2035. The vote comes after nearly 1,500 San Diego County residents signed a petition urging the county to take this action. “The fact is, climate crisis is an existential threat to our way of life in San Diego and around the globe,” the petition read. “We must face this historic challenge with historic ambitions to match. We must decarbonize San Diego County as quickly as possible.”
Introduced by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Nora Vargas, two of the newest members of the board, the vote directed staff to start creating a Regional Sustainability Plan that will guide the county toward the “zero carbon” goal.
A regional approach to climate action will establish a framework to reach the goal of zero carbon focus across the county as quickly as possible, achieving greater greenhouse gas reductions than the county could achieve on its own.
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Blue Shield to lead state vaccine network
CalMatters
Blue Shield of California will lead the new statewide vaccine network charged with delivering doses to providers, state officials said Wednesday, adding that Kaiser Permanente will run a separate program for its members and provide additional assistance to the state.
The announcement came a day after the state said a “third-party administrator” would spearhead the new system, but declined to provide additional details. That raised concerns for nine Republican lawmakers, who sent Newsom a letter Wednesday demanding more transparency about the contract.
The lawmakers: “While we welcome any effort to expedite the administration of vaccines, the public and the Legislature have been left in the dark on the hiring process … Californians … deserve to know why this entity was selected for this crucial job.”
Blue Shield spokesman Mark Seelig: We’re “honored to be invited by the governor to play an important role in helping to save lives and overcome this pandemic.”
SBA takes steps to improve First
Draw Paycheck Protection Program
The U.S. Small Business Administrationsaid it is taking steps to improve the First Draw Paycheck Protection Program loan review so that small businesses have as much time as possible to access much needed PPP funds. The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on ensuring small businesses receive the support they need to keep their doors open and continue to employ millions of Americans across the country.
The agency said the administration is working with the agency to identify immediate solutions to address eligibility, compliance, integrity, and promote transparency.
While reviewing the initial draw of PPP loans, anomalies – mostly data mismatches and eligibility concerns – were identified in approximately 4.7 percent of the lender-submitted data. These concerns will require follow-up between the lender and the borrower so that borrowers can access a second round of loans.
During the newest round of PPP, the SBA has already approved over 400,000 loans for approximately $35 billion.
Jamul Indian Village Development
Corp. announces refinance
The Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), owner and operator of Jamul Casino, has closed a loan with a syndicate of commercial banks led by Western Alliance Bank and Nevada State Bank. The other lenders associated with the refinance were Columbia Bank and CIT Bank.
The deal was initiated in 2019 but was sidetracked because of the pandemic. Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch provided legal counsel for the JIVDC and FSA Investment Group acted as the JIVDC’s financial adviser.
North County Transit District to increase
rail trespassing education and enforcement
Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, the North County Transit District (NCTD) will enhance trespassing education and enforcement along the San Diego coastal rail corridor in advance of its plans to place five new Siemens Charger locomotives into revenue service on Feb. 8.
The new state-of-the-art locomotives are diesel-electric powered engines that meet that newest emission standards, Tier 4. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the new locomotives are considerably quieter than the current F-40 locomotives, which is a benefit to the public but also highlights the dangers of trespassing on the railroad right-of-way.
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Mingei receives $100,000 Getty Foundation
grant to develop exhibit on science of Indigo
The Getty Foundation has awarded Mingei International Museuma $100,000 grant for the research and planning of a new exhibition, “BLUE GOLD: The Art and Science of Indigo,” scheduled to open in the fall of 2024.
The exhibition will be part of the Getty’s 2024 Pacific Standard Time initiative, focused on the intertwined histories of art and science, past and present, addressing some of the most complex challenges of our century. Featuring stunning objects of creative expression, coupled with scientific study and explanation, Mingei’s dynamic exhibition will present indigo as a compelling manifestation of art and science.
The museum’s extensive collection of textiles, costume and craft from almost every continent provides a strong starting point for the exhibition. Both historical and forward-looking, this exhibition will explore the connection between past and present to explain indigo’s enduring appeal, while also highlighting the roles of botany, chemistry, medicine, ecology and economics in indigo cultivation.
Report finds $12 million impact
of local cannabis industry
Legal taxation on cannabis yielded a combined total of more than $12 million to the cities of San Diego, La Mesa and Vista in 2019, according to an economic impact report on the San Diego cannabis industry by Cal State San Marcos’ College of Business Administration.
The report was developed by the CSUSM Office of Business Research and Analysis (OBRA) in partnership with Blue Water Government Affairs. The cannabis consulting group worked with OBRA, an office that unites faculty expertise with student researchers to produce business analyses, to collect data on the San Diego cannabis industry. The student team used public records from the three San Diego County cities that allow legal sales of recreational and medical cannabis to examine how it influences community finances, police enforcement and public health.
The report includes research on the diversity of the cannabis industry in the county, revealing that 68 percent of cannabis business license holders are white and 87 percent are male.
The report also explores recent studies conducted by the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) that show cannabis storefronts are not positively associated with increased crimal activity, as well as national research on the reduction of opioid overdose deaths in states with legalized medicinal cannabis.
Realtors group to present workshop
on implications of Proposition 19
Tax benefits on certain inherited properties are set to expire on Feb. 15 as certain provisions of a new law are set to take effect. To assist homeowners, prospective homebuyers, and real estate professionals prepare for these changes, the Greater San Diego Association Realtors (SDAR) will host a workshop on the implications of the new law, Proposition 19. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Prop 19 was approved by voters in the 2020 general election and could alter property tax liabilities for California’s homeowners. SDAR invites anyone interested in the issue to attend the free webinar at 11 a.m. Jesse Lipscomb, a licensed investment adviser specializing in tax-return based financial planning, and a familiar voice on San Diego financial radio shows, is the presenter.
Labyrinth acquires Vista office
building for $3.13 million
Labyrinth Inc. has acquired a three-story office building at 1800 Thibodo Road in Vista for $3.13 million.
The property is a 23,690-square foot, three-floor office building located in the heart of Vista. The steel frame building features mature landscaping.
The property is six miles from San Diego’s largest single runway airport, Palomar Airport. Jeff Abramson and Greg Gershman of Lee & Associates North San Diego County represented the seller, Thibodo LLC. The Buyer, Labyrinth Inc., was represented by Matty Sundberg of Cushman & Wakefield North County.
