Daily Business Report: June 19, 2023
Why ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ will be
California’s next abortion battleground
By Kristen Hwang | CalMatters
In California, less than two-thirds of counties have an abortion clinic. But nearly 80 percent have at least one “crisis pregnancy center,” according to a database compiled by CalMatters.
Abortion rights advocates and lawmakers have long accused these centers — also known as anti-abortion centers — of coercing vulnerable people into remaining pregnant by misleading them about abortion procedures and contraceptive methods. In rural areas with acute primary care shortages, “crisis pregnancy centers” outnumber abortion clinics 11 to 2, a CalMatters analysis shows.
While center supporters vehemently deny the accusations about misleading pregnant people, they’ve become the next battleground for California lawmakers bent on protecting abortion rights and offering services for people who live in states where abortion is banned.
“They’re the next way in which the anti-abortion movement will try to stop people from getting access to abortion here,” said Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat from San Ramon and member of the Women’s Legislative Caucus, which has spearheaded the state’s legislative push for enhanced abortion protections.
Regulating “crisis pregnancy centers,” however, has proven to be exceptionally challenging even in the nation’s self-proclaimed “abortion safe haven.”
Photo: An examination room at the Alternatives Pregnancy Center in Sacramento on June 1, 2023. (Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters)
Taylor Guitar’s Andy Powers launches
high-end electric guitar brand
Andy Powers, CEO, chief designer and president of Taylor Guitars, has launched his own electric guitar brand, Powers Electric.
The brand made a low-key soft launch lastweek, debuting its A-Type hollowbody at a press event and through select U.S. retailers Chicago Music Exchange, Gruhn Guitars, The Music Zoo, and Truetone Music.
Unsurprisingly, they were not cheap, with asking prices all north of three grand. All of them, unsurprisingly sold out. Powers, who brought innovations such as V-Class bracing to acoustic guitar, is unquestionably one of the visionary designers of his generation.
The A-Type is a 21st-century boutique instrument that takes its aesthetic cues from 20th-century automobile design and surf culture.
San Diego Community College District’s
colleges get top grade for smoke-free policies
San Diego Community College District’s colleges have been given an A+ by for their policies that prohibit smoking and tobacco use on their campuses. The top grade to San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College and San Diego Miramar College was awarded by the California Youth Advocacy Network, which conducts an annual survey of smoke-free policies at California’s K-12 schools, colleges and universities.
While not graded in the report card, San Diego College of Continuing Education has an identical smoke-free policy as its sister colleges.
The annual College and University Smoke and Tobacco-Free Report Card noted that 66 percent of California’s community colleges had smoke-free policies that earned them an A+. The University of California and California State University have system wide smoke and tobacco-free policies.
UCSD team wins national Nanotechnology
Entrepreneurship Challenge
By Xochitl Rojas-Rocha
With the help of mentors from UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute and Jacobs School of Engineering, postdoctoral fellow Ivonne Gonzalez-Gamboa of the university’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center has won the national Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship Challenge, making this the second consecutive year that a UC San Diego entry secured first place.
In addition to winning first place in the competition overall, Gonzalez-Gamboa was named the recipient of the 2023 NTEC Diversity Award, which funds future ventures into entrepreneurship. She was mentored by the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute’s Program Manager for Education and Outreach, Yves Theriault, and Professor Nicole SteinmetzSteinmetz.
Scripps Research develops behind-the-scenes
tool for better biomedical data discovery
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a new tool that will make datasets, scientific resources and training materials more discoverable online to help more quickly and efficiently facilitate scientific discoveries.
This new tool, called the Data Discovery Engine (DDE) Schema Playground, was described in a paper that published in BMC Bioinformatics on April 20, 2023. The DDE Schema Playground is a browser-based resource that empowers scientists to make their data more findable and accessible on the web, which has been a significant barrier in the past. It is an integral part of the Data Discovery Engine—a user-friendly site that helps providers to connect their scientific datasets to potential target users more efficiently. Researchers can use the Schema Playground to structure information about their datasets in a more interoperable fashion, and portal members can also register their datasets to make the datasets more discoverable and reusable.
Brenda Lugo joins The Conrad Prebys
Foundation as executive administrator
Brenda Lugo has joined The Conrad Prebys Foundation as executive administrator.
She will provide executive support to Chief Financial Officer Gil Alvarado and to Chief Impact Officer Kaberi Banerjee Murthy.
Lugo comes to the foundation after nearly 15 years of working for the City of San Diego in a variety of positions.
She began her career in local government in 2004 when she joined the City of San Diego’s Office of Homeland Security. During her tenure with the city, Lugo provided high-level executive support working at the Family Justice Center, the Mayor’s office, and in four City Council offices.
Most recently, Lugo served as director of office administration and policy adviser for Councilmember Stephen Whitburn.
Lamont Johnson appointed first VP of diverse
talent development for Guild Mortgage
Lamont Johnson has been appointed as Guild Mortgage’s first vice president of diverse talent development.
In this new role, Johnson will spearhead Guild’s initiatives to recruit, develop, and empower a diverse workforce, while fostering an inclusive environment where Guild employees feel valued and supported.
Johnson brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position, having spent the past 11 years with Guild serving clients in South Carolina, managing five branches, and earning a spot in the top 15 percent of production at the company, first as a producing sales manager and then as a producing branch manager. Before joining Guild, Lamont was a loan officer with JPMorgan Chase and then Bank of America.
Kimberly A. Lange named executive director
of the Ed Brown Center for Active Adults
Kimberly A. Lange has been hired as executive director of the Ed Brown Center for Active Adults in Rancho Bernardo, a position paid for by the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation.
“I am very excited to be working with the Ed Brown Center, as their new Executive Director,” said Lange.
“My philanthropic heart has been supporting senior citizens for many years. I embrace the mission of SDSCF. Our communities need to support the goal of enhancing centers to improve the quality of life for the rising senior population. I look forward to taking this step forward and being part of this vision.”
General Atomics performs first flight of new
heavy fuel engine for Gray Eagle aircraft
SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) conducted the first flight of its new 200-horsepower heavy fuel engine on a Gray Eagle aircraft at its El Mirage flight facility on May 9, 2023. The Heavy Fuel Engine 2.0 is being considered by the U.S. Army to become the fleet replacement for the current 180-horsepower engine used by the Gray Eagle Extended Range Unmanned Aircraft System. HFE 2.0 is also the cornerstone of the modernized Gray Eagle 25M aircraft currently being developed under a U.S. Army-funded program to support future multi-domain operations missions.
Port of San Diego increases annual
funding for community projects
SAN DIEGO — The Board of Port Commissioners has voted to increase annual funding for the Port of San Diego’s Maritime Industrial Impact Fund (MIIF). This fund has supported numerous efforts in communities adjacent to the Port’s maritime industry and terminals, such as youth programs, bicycle infrastructure, air quality improvements, noise reduction efforts, and more. At its June 13 meeting, the board voted to increase the annual funding to 2 percent of the Port’s annual gross maritime industrial revenue. At that rate, it’s estimated that more than $4.8 million will be directed into the MIIF over the next six fiscal years.
UC San Diego researchers
win $1 million Cure Prize
SAN DIEGO — Curebound, which raises and invests funding into translational cancer research projects, has awarded its $1 million Cure Prize to UC San Diego researchers Rebecca Rakow-Penner, M.D., Anders Dale, and Michael McHale, M.D., for their work in ovarian cancer screening. The prize is part of a $6 million investment in 17 oncology research projects in San Diego as part of its 2022-23 class of grants.
Sony Electronics and Zoom
Video Communications partner
SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics Inc. announced that Zoom Video Communications Inc. will be coming to BRAVIA TVs, compatible with BRAVIA CAM. This partnership will allow users to easily connect with friends, family, and colleagues for video calls and meetings from the comfort of their living room. Sony’s BRAVIA is the first TV brand to support the Zoom for TV app on Google Play Store. With Zoom on BRAVIA TVs, users can easily communicate through the big screen with the BRAVIA CAM.
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood
Innovation to host inaugural health fair
SAN DIEGO — Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, a nonprofit located in the heart of Southeastern San Diego, invites residents to attend its second event of the year – a health resource fair at the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center Celebration Court on June 24. The free community event, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., will have accessible health resources such as blood pressure screenings, nutrition education, mental health materials, limited diabetes testing, mammograms and dental exams for those who are uninsured, and assistance with applying or renewing Cal-Fresh, Medi-Cal and Medicare.
