Daily Business Report: June 8, 2023
A break for renters? California considers
reining in high security deposits
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde | CalMatters
Most renters know securing housing isn’t as simple as finding the perfect place.
California’s renters must save up thousands of dollars to provide security deposits that can legally be as much as two months’ rent, or three months’ for furnished units.
Add in the requirement that renters put up the first month’s rent before they can move in and low-income families are most likely to give up hope of finding a home.
The state Assembly passed a proposal that could change that. Assembly Bill 12 would limit security deposits to one month’s rent, regardless of whether a unit is furnished or not. If the bill passes and gets Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature, California could become the 12th state to limit security deposits.
“Security deposits present barriers for people to move into apartments, which can lead them to stay in apartments (and) in homes that are too small, crowded or even unsafe,” said Matt Haney, the Democratic Assemblymember from San Francisco who authored the bill. “In other cases, people take on debt or financial burden that leaves them unable to afford other necessities.”
Haney said the bill has attracted widespread support in the Assembly, including from lawmakers who are landlords as well as labor organizations representing teachers, nurses and grocery store workers.
Top Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
Busy summer travel season anticipated
at San Diego International Airport
San Diego International Airport is expecting to see more passengers this summer than at any time since the beginning of the pandemic. With Terminal 1 construction in full swing, the airport officials encourage passengers picking up or dropping off to plan ahead.
Passengers can expect congestion in front of the existing Terminal 1 and on the roadways approaching the airport. Also, with construction underway on the new Terminal 1 parking structure (scheduled to open in late-2024), on-airport parking is extremely limited. Parking is currently available at Terminal 2 Parking Plaza.
To learn more about construction impacts, transit options, and more, visit newt1.com.
18 County restaurants receive $5,000 grants
Eighteen restaurants in San Diego County have been awarded $5,000 grants as part of California Restaurant Foundation’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund, a $2.1 million fund financed by California’s energy companies, including SDG&E.
The Foundation said a total of 184 independent restaurants in the state have been awarded the grants. More than 80 percent plan to use the $5,000 grants to improve the business itself, with items such as technology and equipment upgrades or to recover from California’s harsh winter storms, while roughly 20 percent will invest the funds back into their people via retention bonuses and training.
The San Diego County restauraunts receiving grants:
• The House of Cuban Flavors, Chula Vista
• The Hamlett, Lemon Grove
• Café Madeleine, San Diego
• Whomp Burger & Brew, San Diego
• Craft and Taco Lounge, Escondido
• Tortilleria Mi Reyna, Escondido
• Churches Frutorteria, La Mesa
• Ambrogio by Acquerello, La Jolla
• Giardino Neighborhood Cucina, Lemon Grove
• Sisters Pizza, San Diego
• The Plot, Oceanside
• Himalyan Yak & Yeti, San Diego
• Friend’s House Korean Restaurant, San Diego
• Cocina Del Carmen, Vista
• Antojitos El Tenampa, Lemon Grove
• Smokin J’s BBQ, Poway
• Banana Dang LLC, Oceanside
• Josie’s Hideout Saloon, Santa Ysabel
TV series to put Oceanside on the map — again
Oceanside got 15 seconds of international fame when Tom Cruise, as Maverick, rode to his girlfriend Charlie’s cottage during a stunning sunset, with “Take My Breath Away” playing in the background.
The Victorian beach house featured in “Top Gun” remains an Oceanside sightseeing attraction since being transformed into the aviation-themed High Pie shop.
“Animal Kingdom,” a TNT TV drama series that aired from 2016 to 2022 and starred Ellen Barkin as the matriarch of a crime family, was based in Oceanside.
hen, last July, Netflix released “Purple Hearts,” centered on the relationship of an aspiring singer, who works in an Oceanside bar, and a Camp Pendleton Marine.
Oceanside is about to be in the limelight again when an animated series “Hailey’s On It!”
debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday on the Disney Channel and Disney XD. The next day, it will be available for streaming on Disney+, and Walt Disney Records is releasing a digital soundtrack with six original tunes from the show.
SDSU alumni among first Peace Corps
volunteers to return to service overseas
San Diego State alumni Blake Curl and Nicholas Stephens are among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Diego resident Curl graduated in spring 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in geography. He will serve as a volunteer in Panama in the health sector. Stephens, a 2021 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in international business, will serve as a volunteer in Costa Rica in the community economic development sector.
The volunteer cohorts are made up of both first-time volunteers and volunteers who were evacuated in early 2020. Upon finishing a three-month training, volunteers will collaborate with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors.
“I have always wanted to serve in the Peace Corps because I love meeting new people and seeing new places. I have always dreamed of creating a life where I experience different cultures and commit myself to service,” Curl said.
“I was motivated to join the Peace Corps because I wanted to experience a completely different way of life for an extended period of time,” Stephens said. “I hope to master the Spanish language, gain an understanding of the intricacies of a local Latin American culture, and lay the groundwork for a fulfilling international career.”
Currently, the agency is recruiting volunteers to serve in 59 countries around the world. Apply here
City approves installation of interactive
Downtown to help visitors and residents
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego City Council approved plans to install in Downtown at least 50 interactive kiosks designed to help visitors and residents navigate the city. The new partnership with IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) Smart City and the Downtown San Diego Partnership aims to bring state-of-the-art wayfinding technology to commercial, pedestrian-oriented areas at no cost to the city or its constituents. The project is expected to produce nearly $15 million for the City of San Diego and another $7 million for the Downtown San Diego Partnership. IKE Smart City works collaboratively with the city and the Partnership on location selection, kiosk branding, on-screen content, and community engagement.
Iva Yuan named senior VP for
ICW Group Insurance Companies
SAN DIEGO —ICW Group Insurance Companies, a leading group of property and casualty carriers, announced the promotion of Iva Yuan to senior vice president, product and actuarial, charged with leading the company’s actuarial and product management practices.
Yuan will focus on enhancing the company’s product lines to deliver competitive offerings that continue to meet the needs of ICW Group policyholders.
She will also lead the advancement of ICW Group’s reserving practices.
Cue Health receives FDA De Novo OK
for its Cue COVID-19 Molecular Test
SAN DIEGO — Cue Health, a health care technology company, announces an industry breakthrough as the first company to receive De Novo authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Cue COVID-19 Molecular Test, designed for both home and point-of-care use. This sets a new standard as the first FDA De Novo authorization for a home use COVID-19 test and the first De Novo granted for any home use respiratory test.
Pope names Vietnamese, Hispanic clerics
as SD Diocese’s 2 new auxiliary bishops
SAN DIEGO — Pope Francis on Tuesday chose two clerics from diverse backgrounds to become new auxiliary bishops for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. They are the Very Rev. Michael Pham, 56, vicar general of the diocese and pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Mira Mesa, and Father Felipe Pulido, 53, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Yakima, Wash.
Cognician named HR
Innovation Challenge Champion
SAN DIEGO — Cognician, a leading employee activation platform, has been named a Champion at the recent HR Innovation Challenge in Santiago, Chile, sponsored by Accenture and BHP. Emerging companies were invited to develop solutions for real-world human resources challenges. Fourteen finalists were chosen in four categories. Cognician was selected as the winner in the “Everyone, everywhere, all at once” category, a diversity and inclusion challenge that aims to attract and retain diverse talents in the mining industry.
Quick Custom Intelligence installs software
at Elk Valley Casino in Crescent City
SAN DIEGO — Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a San Diego company developing software for the gaming and hospitality industries, has installed the QCI Enterprise Platform at the Elk Valley Casino in Crescent City, Calif. The platform is setting a new standard in the industries for data-driven operations and customer experiences. The software is installed in more than 115 casino resorts in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Latin America and The Bahamas.
Sony Electronics in partnership
with Square Enix on gaming series
SAN DIEGO — Sony Electronics Inc. revealed its partnership with Square Enix on the latest standalone title in the Final Fantasy game franchise Final Fantasy XVI, available on PlayStation. The role-playing game franchise has grown significantly since the inaugural game that was released in 1987. Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Group Corporation, and headquartered in San Diego.
DermTech announces contract
with Hawaii Blues Plan
SAN DIEGO — DermTech Inc., a leader in precision dermatology enabled by a non-invasive skin genomics platform, announced an agreement with a Blues plan in Hawaii. The contract, which is in addition to a favorable coverage policy, enhances access to the foundational assay of the DermTech Melanoma Test (DMT) for the nearly 800,000 members of this plan. The DMT is an innovative, non-invasive way to enhance melanoma detection with a greater than 99 percent negative predictive value.
Aegis awarded grant from
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
SAN DIEGO — Aegis Life Inc. and its parent company Entos Pharmaceuticals have entered into a grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation will provide funding support to develop the Fusogenix PLV platform for the delivery of DNA-encoded monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV, influenzas, and malaria. Aegis is licensed to use Entos’ technology to develop therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases.
Makin Island Ready Group with 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit returns to San Diego
SAN DIEGO — The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned to San Diego after a seven-month deployment in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and amphibious transport docks USS Anchorage and USS John P. Murtha along with 4,500 sailors and Marines traveled more than 47,000 nautical miles during the deployment.
