Your Daily Business Report: Sept. 29, 2023
San Diego Public Library fights censorship
by making banned books available to young readers
The San Diego Public Library and Library Foundation SD are launching their participation in Books Unbanned. This new campaign will resist book bans by making challenged titles available to young readers across the U.S.
Through Books Unbanned, young readers can access a collection of frequently banned or challenged titles in e-book or audiobook form. The list of more than 250 titles includes some of the most challenged books in the U.S., such as “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson.
Books Unbanned was first started by the Brooklyn Public Library in 2021 and was soon joined by a similar campaign by the Seattle Public Library. Now, the San Diego Public Library is being joined by partners such as the Los Angeles County Public Library and Boston Public Library in this effort.
The campaign is 100 percent philanthropically supported by the generosity of Library Foundation SD supporters. Additionally, for every eBook or eAudiobook checked out by a young reader in regions with a high number of book bans, Library Foundation SD will purchase titles for the home collection.
Photos: Challenged books that the library will make available to young readers include ‘The Bluest Eye’ by Toni Morrison, above, and ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ by George M. Johnson.
California gunmakers fear their ‘expiration date’
in a state that doesn’t want them
By Alexei Koseff | CalMatters
There are two decisions about the future of gun rights in California that the employees at Rifle Supply are closely watching these days. Like many firearms enthusiasts, they anticipate the imminent end of California’s ban on “large-capacity magazines” capable of holding more than 10 rounds, a potential boon to their business.
U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of San Diego overturned the law on Friday, with a brief stay to give the state a chance to appeal.
Weeks before the ruling, Rifle Supply, a gun manufacturer and retailer, began thinning out the inventory stocked in its suburban Orange County store, which is already decorated with witch hats and cobwebs for Halloween. A rifle magazine engraved with a sanctified image of Benitez, who has also tossed several other California gun regulations for violating the constitutional right to bear arms, is among its top sellers.
Plastic bins of standard 30-round magazines, not yet pinned to make them California-legal, are piled in the back, ready to be moved to the sales floor as soon as the judge’s decision takes effect.
“People will go ridiculous,” Raul Rodriguez, the company’s marketing manager, said on a recent morning. “I guarantee you we’d sell all of this out in a day.”
County and court officials preview
start of new CARE Act proram
County and Court officials outlined plans Wednesday for the launch next week of the Community Assistance, Recovery & Empowerment Act (CARE Act) program to help severely impaired people living with untreated schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.
Starting Sunday, Oct. 1, the County of San Diego will be one of seven pilot counties in the state to get an early start on implementing the CARE Act program. It will do so in collaboration with the Superior Court, the Public Defender, legal advocacy, contracted service providers, and community partners.
The county expects to spend between $15 million – $20 million the first year on CARE Act and for about 1,000 people to be considered.
Openings available for startups
in Procopio’s LaunchPad incubator
San Diego’s LaunchPad incubator is open for applications from startup entrepreneurs for its 2024 class. A program of Procopio Business Advisors LLC since 2012, this highly competitive program hosts emerging growth companies in Procopio’s Del Mar Heights offices. The companies’ entrepreneurs work side by side with Procopio attorneys as they begin the formation, protection of core technology, early funding and growth of their startups.
Those interested in applying for the 2023 LaunchPad cohort can visit the LaunchPad website.
Scripps Oceanography to help lead
new earthquake research center
By Lauren Fimbres Wood
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego will be part of a new, multi-institutional research center to study a subduction zone capable of producing earthquakes in excess of magnitude 9.0 and bolster earthquake preparedness in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
The Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center (CRESCENT), funded through a $15 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will be the first center of its kind in the nation focused on earthquakes at subduction zones, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.
The center will unite scientists studying the possible impacts of a major earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone, an offshore tectonic plate boundary that stretches more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from southern British Columbia to Northern California. It will advance earthquake research, foster community partnerships, and diversify and train the next generation geosciences workforce.
Judge upholds $56 million Stone Brewing trademark verdict
A San Diego federal judge this week upheld a jury’s verdict awarding local craft brewer Stone Brewing $56 million in its trademark infringement lawsuit against beer giant Molson Coors.
Stone’s lawsuit that resulted in the jury’s award last year alleged Molson Coors’ Keystone Light rebrand in 2017 confused customers by prominently displaying the word “Stone” on its packaging and that the alleged infringement cost Stone millions of dollars.
Attorneys for Molson Coors countered that the “Stone” nickname had long been a part of Keystone marketing, and that customers were unlikely to mistake Stone’s craft products for a “budget beer” such as Keystone.
Smartville awarded $10 million
to develop energy storage technologies
Smartville Inc., an electric vehicle battery repurposing innovator, has been awarded $10 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop long-duration energy storage technologies. Smartville will lead one of 15 projects that will provide real-world benefits to local power systems, mitigate risks associated with disruptions to the grid and help communities develop reliable and affordable energy systems.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company expands distribution into Nevada
Karl Strauss Brewing Company has expanded its distribution into Nevada. The craft brewery now distributes its beer throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. Karl Strauss is partnering with Vin Sauvage Nevada Beverage Distributor to extend its lineup in the state. The company has eight brewpubs throughout Southern California, and a new beer garden concept will open soon in the City of San Marcos. It has earned hundreds of awards for its innovative, high-quality beers over its 35 years of operation.
SeaWorld to open marine life-themed rides
SeaWorld announced it will open one-of-a-kind marine life themed rides and attractions in every SeaWorld park in Spring 2024. Guests to the award-winning parks in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego can look forward to epic journeys and experiences for the whole family. The first of its kind at SeaWorld parks, the all-new “Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience” at SeaWorld San Diego offers an immersive and interactive view into the mysterious underwater world of glowing and graceful jellyfish, along with touch and behind the scenes experiences.
CyberCatch announces strategic Partnership with IdeaHub Solutions
CyberCatch Holdings Inc., , an innovative cybersecurity company offering an artificial intelligence enabled platform solution for continuous compliance and cyber risk mitigation, announced a strategic partnership with IdeaHub Solutions, a leading digital transformation company serving Asia-Pacific. Under the partnership, IdeaHub Solutions is committing to U.S. $300,000 to market CyberCatch solutions in Asia-Pacific region, with an emphasis in Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and attain 20,000 customers within next two years.
Sony unveils three wireless microphones
Expanding its microphone portfolio, Sony Electronics introduces the ECM-W3 and ECM-W3S wireless microphones, along with the wireless streaming microphone ECM-S1. These cutting-edge microphones combine high-quality sound capture with a lightweight design. With the ECM-W3, ECM-W3S, and ECM-S1 models, Sony empowers video content creators with the ability to achieve superior audio recording across various shooting scenarios.
Neighborhood National Bank receives Business Enterprise Award
Neighborhood National Bank (NNB) has received a Business Enterprise Award (BEA) from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund in the amount of $451,025. NNB, the first nationally chartered CDFI, and only financial institution CDFI in San Diego County, was one of only 184 BEA Award recipients nationwide. NNB received the grant based on providing qualified loans to small businesses in distressed communities in San Diego County.
Former NBA champion Metta World Peace
to speak at Building Industry Show
The Building Industry Association of Southern California announced that former NBA champion Metta World Peace will serve as keynote speaker for the upcoming Building Industry Show Oct. 26 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego. The show expects upwards of 2,000 attendees, including 65 builders and their operations and purchasing staff. The Show will also feature the largest “Meet the Builder” experience in Southern California,
Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test receive CPT Code
ClearNote Health, a cancer detection company focused on enabling people at risk for high-mortality cancers to live longer, healthier lives, announced the American Medical Association (AMA) has issued a new Current Procedural Terminology Proprietary Laboratory Analyses code for the Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test. Effective Oct. 1, the new CPT code, 0410U, establishes a reimbursement pathway for increased patient access and broader test adoption. The Avantect test is intended for patients at high risk for pancreatic cancer.
Encinitas to issue bonds for $6 million coastal open space purchase
The Encinitas City Council has voted unanimously to issue lease revenue bonds to fund the $6 million acquisition of a 1.43-acre parcel of land in coastal Leucadia. The land, located at the northeast corner of Coast Highway 101 and La Costa Avenue, will be preserved as open space, offering breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Carlsbad beaches, and Batiquitos Lagoon. The decision to use lease revenue bonds avoids the need for a voter-approved ballot measure and expedites the process.
La Mesa police consider controversial
license plate scanning system
The La Mesa Police Department is contemplating the purchase of a Flock Safety license plate reader camera system, similar to one used in El Cajon, despite concerns that it may be sharing data across state lines. The proposal is set to be discussed during a City Council meeting in October. The system, already in use in El Cajon, provides real-time crime alerts to law enforcement when stolen or wanted vehicles are detected.
