Daily Business Report: April 20, 2022
Mexican photojournalism exhibit
to make U.S. debut at Cuyamaca College
An exhibit showing the works of Mexican photojournalists, never before shown north of the U.S. border, kicks off May 5 – Cinco de Mayo – at Cuyamaca College. The photographs offer a rare window into life in the state of Guerrero, chronicling the day-to-day experiences of indigenous and Afro-Mexican people and the tragedy of poverty and ongoing drug violence.
The free exhibit, called “A Photo for Freedom,” will feature the work of 20 photojournalists, in the lobby of the Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Center. The exhibit will run through early June.
A 5-8 p.m. event on May 5 inside the college’s digital theater will feature an online presentation by the exhibit curator and independent journalist Marlén Castro, as well as a reception featuring Oaxacan cuisine from El Tejate Restaurant in Escondido. The digital theater is adjacent to the lobby where the photos will be exhibited. The May 5 event is open to the public. RSVPs are requested at https://bitly/AmapolaCuyamaca.
In one of the exhibit’s photos, “La Nina de la Milpa” (The Girl from Milpa), a young girl gazes into the camera beneath a colorful flower arrangement, her shoulder draped in a royal blue shawl. In another, “Velos de Sangre” (Blood Veils), women sit shrouded in head coverings of gold, pink, turquoise, and blue. Their faces are hidden in shadow as they congregate at a funeral service for nine local musicians killed by drug gangs after being caught in the crossfire of territorial battles.
PHOTOS: Left, “La Nina de la Milpa”; right, “Velos de Sangre”
Former Tribal Chairman Anthony Pico
honored with Sovereign Warrior Award
The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) will present the Rick Hill-Tim Wapato Sovereign Warrior Award to Anthony Pico, former chairman of the Viejas Band Kumeyaay Indians, during the Indian Gaming 2022 Cultural Ceremony today (April 20) at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim.
This prominent recognition was established by the National Indian Gaming Association and is presented to an individual who exemplifies the shared passion and commitment to tribal sovereignty that inspired the leadership and legacy of Hill and Wapato on behalf of the advancement of tribal government gaming.
For most of the past two decades, Pico served as the elected leader of his tribe, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians of Alpine.
Under his stewardship and vision, the Viejas Band achieved national and state recognition for its economic and social progress, including being the operators and owners of the Viejas Casino, Viejas Outlet Center, and two RV Parks. Pico also serves on the tribe’s Finance Committee, which oversees and provides recommendations on the tribe’s business enterprises and future economic development.
Californians turn negative on high tax burdens
by Dan Walters | CalMatters
California taxpayers faced a trifecta of taxes this month as they filed federal and state income tax returns and paid their semi-annual property tax bills.
Their payments underscored California’s well-deserved reputation of being a high-tax state. Measured by either a percentage of personal income or a share of economic output, California’s state and local taxes are the fifth highest of any state, according to the Tax Foundation.
Personal and corporate income taxes, state and local sales taxes and local property taxes, plus dozens of lesser levies, such as gasoline and utility taxes, generate something north of $400 billion a year for officials to spend. Californians also pay another half-trillion dollars or so into the federal treasury each year ($472 billion in 2019). On average, Californians are coughing up more than $20,000 each.
So, to paraphrase Goldilocks and the Three Bears, are Californians’ taxes too high, too low or just about right?
California’s preeminent polling organizations, UC-Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and the Public Policy Institute of California, tested that questions in recent surveys and found that Californians are somewhat resentful about the taxes they pay.
Smartwatches and fitness bands reveal individual
physiological responses to COVID-19 vaccine
A new digital health study by researchers at Scripps Research shows how data from wearable sensors, such as smartwatches and fitness bands, can track a person’s physiological response to the COVID-19 vaccination.
The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, analyzed sensor data on sleep, activity and heart rate from over 5,600 individuals. Among the findings, the team showed that the average resting heart rate of participants significantly increased the day following vaccination. The effect appeared to be stronger after the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and more pronounced in younger individuals.
According to lead author Giorgio Quer, director of Artificial Intelligence at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, this study is a first step toward quantifying the physiological response to vaccination in individuals using commercial sensors.
Clarion Partners acquires Fusion
Life Science HQ in Carlsbad
Clarion Partners Real Estate Income Fund Inc. has expanded its property portfolio with the acquisition of Fusion Life Science HQ, a 121,541-square-foot hybrid creative office and research and development building in Carlsbad.
Constructed in 1996, the Fusion campus was renovated in 2020 and features amenities such as a landlord-owned solar panel roof system and ample parking, as well as a fitness center, electric vehicle chargers, fire pits, bocce ball and basketball courts, putting green, barbeque station and outdoor meeting amphitheater.
Fusion is currently 100 percent leased to Alphatec Spine Inc. through January 2031. Alphatec is a medical device company that designs, develops and manufactures products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders. The campus serves as Alphatec’s global headquarters with custom R&D, office and warehouse build-outs, including a surgery experience center and training center for surgeons.
Neuropore Therapies awarded $4.8 million
grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Neuropore Therapies Inc., a San Diego biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, has received a $4.8 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The grant will be used to support the preclinical and clinical development a of a novel brain-penetrating small molecule Toll-Like receptor 2 antagonist.“We are very pleased to receive such a significant funding award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation. TLR2 plays an important role in creating and maintaining a harmful neuro-inflammatory condition in Parkinson’s disease. Reducing this neuroinflammation, by blocking TLR2, has the potential to prevent neurodegeneration and slow the progression of the disease.” said Douglas Bonhaus, chief executive officer at Neuropore. “This grant will help enable us to rapidly advance our lead TLR2 antagonist through preclinical and early clinical development.”
Telehealth is lifeline for veterans
at Confidential Recovery
Veterans have traditionally been prone to struggle with PTSD, substance addiction, and suicidal ideation. These challenges were exacerbated during the pandemic, during which many Veterans were isolated from their recovery support systems.
Out of necessity, Confidential Recovery expanded their telehealth offerings, which has been a positive development for many Veterans. Confidential Recovery is an outpatient treatment program in San Diego that is designed to help veterans, first responders, and executives achieve sustainable recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD).
Confidential Recovery’s telehealth clients will participate in “one-on-one” addiction counseling, and can also be set up in the room with other “live” participants in group counseling sessions, giving them a sense of belonging and camaraderie. For some veterans, the telehealth option is a matter of convenience, and they attend sessions both in person, and via telehealth, depending on their work schedules and other commitments.
Petco encourages adding ‘Pet Friendly’
to their employee benefits
As businesses across the U.S. re-open office doors after two years of mostly or entirely remote work –– Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. is advocating for employees to continue working with pets by their side and encouraging employers to add “pet-friendly” to their roster of employee benefits.
Employees across the U.S. are eager to return to a normal semblance of work life, but many are anxious about leaving some comforts of working from home – including their pets – behind. A survey conducted by Petco finds that:
• 69 percent of pet parents are stressed about what returning to work means for their pets
• Nearly half want their employers to adopt a pet-friendly workplace
• 41 percent say they would consider switching jobs if it meant they could bring their pet to work.
NeuraLace Medical expands patent portfolio
NeuraLace Medical Inc., a San Diego commercial-stage medical technology company focusing on innovative solutions for neuropathic pain care, announces the expansion of its global patent portfolio with the issuance of two new patents: US Patent No. 11,305,130 for “Devices, Systems, and Methods For Non-Invasive Chronic Pain Therapy” (issued April 19, 2022) and US Patent No. 11,273,317 for “Portable Transcutaneous Magnetic Stimulator and Systems and Methods of Use Thereof” (issued March 15, 2022).
The new patents include system and method claims for treating peripheral nerve pain using low-frequency transcutaneous magnetic stimulation, including advanced applications in wearable pain therapy technology. The patents, which last until 2039 and 2033, respectively, are part of a global patent portfolio protecting the core Axon Therapy and advanced applications.
BMNT’s H4XLabs to host San Diego
Blue Tech Innovation Showcase
Industry experts, government officials, investors and others working to accelerate innovation in the Blue Tech ecosystem will gather in San Diego, Wednesday, April 27, for a Blue Tech Innovation Showcase hosted by BMNT Inc.’s enterprise accelerator, H4XLabs, with support from the NavalX Techbridge network.
The event is the second in a series by H4Xlabs. Locally supported by San Diego’s TMA Foundation, it will explore the state of the blue tech ecosystem in Southern California and funding opportunities for advanced and emerging technologies that can be harnessed to protect the oceans.
Padres announce Motorola as official jersey patch partner
The San Diego Padres, in conjunction with Motorola, announced that the Chicago-based telecommunications giant will serve as the official jersey patch partner of the organization beginning with the 2023 Major League Baseball regular season. A patch of the iconic Motorola “batwing” logo will be woven into the shoulder of the different versions of the Padres uniform.
The jersey patch partnership, which was unveiled through a video featuring third baseman Manny Machado and pitcher Blake Snell, is the first of its kind across all 30 Major League Baseball clubs.
In addition to becoming the official jersey patch partner of the Padres, Motorola will serve as the presenting partner of the Padres Hall of Fame, including all-new interactive technology displays and product integration throughout the exhibit. Additionally, Motorola is prominently featured on signage in left field and in various locations throughout Petco Park.
WILDCOAST Tijuana border Trash Boom
prevents trash from destroying ocean
WILDCOAST, an international team conserving coastal and marine ecosystems and addressing climate change through natural solutions, has teamed up with the City of Tijuana to prevent 72,752 pounds of trash from entering the Tijuana River and Pacific Ocean to date.
A result of the first-ever solid waste retention system in Mexico, also known as a Trash Boom, installed in Tijuana’s Los Laureles Canyon in 2021, the project safeguards more than 300 species of birds, leopard sharks, bottlenose dolphins, gray whales, and California spiny lobster in addition to reducing flooding and mosquito-borne diseases.
Approximately 93 percent of the waste captured by the Trash Boom is plastics and tires. Demonstrating the many possibilities of reusing plastic and tire materials for the benefit of the community, WILDCOAST has repurposed some of the waste collected to build a park for the underserved community of Los Laureles.
