Daily Business Report: Sept. 8, 2023
California scales back electric car rebates
to focus on lower-income car buyers
By Alejandro Lazo | CalMatters
California is eliminating its popular electric car rebate program — which often runs out of money and has long waiting lists — to focus on providing subsidies only to lower-income car buyers.
The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, in existence since 2010, will end when it runs out of money this year. In its place, the state will expand a program next year that provides subsidies only to low-to-middle income residents — those who have more trouble affording electric cars.
The income limits will be much more restrictive. Californians who earn more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level will no longer qualify for a state subsidy when they purchase an electric car, according to the California Air Resources Board. Currently, that level is $43,740 for an individual and $90,000 for a family of four, with sliding scales for household size.
In comparison, under the existing program that is being eliminated, individuals earning up to $135,000 and joint filers earning up to $200,000 qualified. The rebates for battery-powered cars varied from $7,500 for lower-income households to $2,000 for higher incomes.
Photo: A man charges his car at an electric vehicle charging station in Burlingame. (Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters)
U.S. Space Force awards Viasat contract
for proliferated low earth orbit satellite service
Carlsbad-based Viasat Inc. a global leader in satellite communications, announced that Inmarsat Government, now part of Viasat, was awarded a Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services (SBS) contract by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) on behalf of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. Inmarsat Government is one of 16 companies selected for the $900 million ceiling, 10-year contract.
Viasat said that under his contract, it plans to leverage small satellite technology, reduced costs and increased launch service competition, facilitating the ability for pLEO constellations to provide persistent, global coverage with reduced transmission latency.
U.S. Department of Defense backs
Cosimo Commisso’s pancreatic cancer research
Cosimo Commisso has received a grant from the Department of Defense for $1 million to advance the research of a small molecule that kills pancreatic cancer cells by disrupting their pH equilibrium.
The project is funded as part of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program, which aims to improve our understanding of pancreatic cancer for the benefit of service members, veterans, their families and the general public.
“We’ve seen that this small molecule—called IMD-0354—works on cancer cells in the lab,” says Commisso, associate professor and director of the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys. “This award will help us better understand how it works and test it in vivo to see how effective it is in a whole organism.”
Karen Connolly joins San Diego
Regional Policy & Innovation Center
The San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center, a nonprofit organization, has hired Karen Connolly, as the center’s first senior director of workforce development. In this new role, Connolly will lead the organization’s efforts to support the creation of quality jobs throughout the region.
Prior to joining PIC, Connolly most recently served as the inaugural director of health care workforce programs for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, where she created pipelines and programs in health care and behavioral health with a specific focus on underserved populations.
Connolly was responsible for securing over $12 million in grant funding and created the region’s first and only Department of Labor-registered Substance Use Disorder counselor apprenticeship.
Roxanne Nurse joins Higgs Fletcher & Mack law firm
Experienced trial attorney Roxanne Nurse has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP and will practice as a part of the firm’s Employment Law and Trusts & Estates Litigation practice groups. Nurse has extensive experience litigating employee injury claims as a workers compensation defense lawyer.
She has represented large insurance companies and self-insured corporations, managed case dynamics, conducted in-depth depositions, and worked to mitigate client exposure.
Nurse, who was raised in South Africa before immigrating to the United States, earned a Bachelor of Laws degree, LL.B., from the University of Pretoria, and a LL.M. from the University of San Diego School of Law. She participated in the Deposition Training Program from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from the University of California San Diego in June of 2023.
The Old Globe presents ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’
With a cast that includes students from USD
The Old Globe presents Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”featuring students from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program. Directed by Jimonn Cole, the limited engagement will play 11 performances only from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, 2023 in The Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Center in beautiful Balboa Park.
Tickets go on sale to subscribers and donors on Friday, Aug. 25 at noon and to the general public on Friday, Sept. 1 at noon.
Set in a modern-day Italy, we meet two young men in search of identity—and Julia, the first Shakespearean female character to disguise herself as a young man. This company of 14 M.F.A. actors, now in training at The Old Globe and University of San Diego, brings a wild cast of characters to life in a bold staging of this timely, classy comedy that highlights themes of betrayal, loyalty and friendship.
A joint venture of the Globe and USD, the Shiley Graduate Theatre Program nationally recruits seven students each year to participate in an intensive two-year course of graduate study in classical theatre.
New piano concerto to commemorate 100th
anniversary of Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
The ProtoStar Foundation is commissioning renowned composer Michael Schachter to compose a new piano concerto, which will premiere in 2024 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Gershwin’s masterpiece, originally commissioned by Paul Whiteman, was first performed in New York City’s Aeolian Hall on Feb. 12, 1924. Schachter’s composition will pay tribute to Gershwin’s piece musically.
EROAD product enhancements help improve driver safety
EROAD, a global leader in fleet performance management, announced a number of product enhancements designed to help fleet customers improve driver safety, streamline operations, and bolster supply chain visibility. Updates have been made to EROAD’s Clarity Dashcam, refrigerated trailer door sensor, and route planner, and new fuel card integrations introduced for easier tax reporting and fuel use analysis.
Brennan acquires manufacturing and
distribution building in Temecula
Brennan Investment Group has partnered with Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners to acquire a freestanding manufacturing and distribution facility totaling 160,561 square feet in the Rancho California Business Park at 43195 Business Park Drive in Temecula within the southern Inland Empire and northern San Diego submarkets. Furniture City will lease the building back on a short-term basis as they build a larger facility in another market.
Phanes Therapeutics establishes Clinical Advisory Board
Phanes Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery and development in oncology, announced that it has formed a Clinical Advisory Board (CAB) to enhance the development of its three clinical stage programs: PT199 for solid tumors, PT886 for gastric, gastroesophageal junction and pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and PT217 for small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine cancers.
iXCells Biotechnologies expands to San Diego
iXCells Biotechnologies USA Inc., a cell technology company specializing in providing cell-based products and drug discovery solutions to the global academic, biotech and pharmaceutical communities, announced completing key growth initiatives. The company relocated to new expanded facilities in San Diego, tripling its footprint for cell product manufacturing, research and drug discovery services, including tailored production of disease relevant cell models using CRISPR Cas9.
Biological Dynamics partners with Pancreatic
Cancer Early Detection Consortium
Biological Dynamics Inc., a leader in exosome-isolation technology for early disease detection, and the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium, an international, multi-institutional group of experts focused on increasing survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients, have signed a multi-year agreement to partner on patient surveillance for early-stage pancreatic cancer using Biological Dynamics’ ExoVita Pancreas Assay, powered by the Verita platform.
Cubic to showcase products at Space & Cyber Conference
Cubic Defense, a recognized industry leader in providing air combat training systems, edge compute and networking, and digital intelligence, will showcase its innovative solutions during the 2023 Space & Cyber Conference Sept. 11-13 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. “Cubic’s advanced capabilities are designed to support the warfighters no matter the operation,” said Cubic Defense President Paul Shew. “Our portfolio delivers a readiness advantage that enables mission success at the edge, anywhere, at any time.”
ATX Networks provides CDE Lightband with pluggable solution
ATX Networks, a global leader in broadband access and media distribution solutions, is providing CDE Lightband with a low-cost, pluggable solution that enables the Clarksville, TN-based power and broadband service provider to upgrade its bulk commercial video service without requiring customers to purchase new televisions.
Tentarix completes $35 million Series B financing
Tentarix Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on leveraging its proprietary Tentacles platform to discover and develop multi-functional, conditional protein therapeutics, announced it has raised $35 million in a Series B financing led by Amplitude Ventures with participation from Gilead Sciences, Inc., and founding investors Versant Ventures and Samsara BioCapital. Since inception, Tentarix has now brought in $132 million in capital from equity and upfront partnership payments.
Vektor Medical unveils enhanced vMap technology
Vektor Medical, developer of the only technology to accurately map arrhythmias using just 12-lead ECG data, announced the release of a series of software enhancements to its AI-based non-invasive solution, vMap. Designed to improve ablation outcomes and procedural efficiencies, the newly updated vMap software integrates additional automation and advanced visualization features.
