Daily Business Report: May 3, 2024
California politicians face rampant threats.
Some want to use campaign cash for protection
By Sameea Kamal | CalMatters
Last spring, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan received a letter calling for him to be lynched because of a bill he introduced to change how ballot measures are presented to California voters.
It’s not the only time he’s been subjected to threats or harassment. Bryan said he and fellow Assemblymember Mia Bonta received hundreds of threats when they didn’t vote in a committee on a bill increasing penalties for child trafficking, until it added language that he said would protect victims.
“The one that I’ll probably forever remember is a suggestion that my fiancé and mother should be human trafficked so that I understand how serious this is — which, for a legislator who travels four days out the week and leaves my loved ones at home, you know — that was not taken lightly,” Bryan told CalMatters.
Currently, to use campaign funds, lawmakers have to file a police report. But threats happen “all the time,” Bryan said, and legislators just need “basic security…protection that you need to do this job.”
That’s why the Culver City Democrat supported a bill last year by Bonta that would have made it easier for local and state candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for security.
Top Photo: A member of the Assembly’s security detail on guard on the chamber’s floor at the state Capitol in Sacramento on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters)
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New cannabis program to address inequity in unincorporated area
The County adopted a new equity program Wednesday that helps people negatively impacted by the War on Drugs with cannabis business ownership in the unincorporated area.
In January 2021, the Board directed county staff to develop a Socially Equitable Cannabis Program that provides fairness in business ownership in the regulated cannabis market by reducing the barriers to entry.
As part of the wider proposed Socially Equitable Program, the Social Equity Entrepreneurs Program will help those negatively impacted by criminalization of marijuana participate in the legal cannabis industry.
Qualified applicants who choose not to participate in the cannabis industry but are deserving of some form of benefit can receive help through the Social Equity Beneficiaries Program
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Biodegradable ‘living plastic’ houses bacterial spores that help break it down
By Liezel Labios | UC San Diego
A new type of bioplastic could help reduce the plastic industry’s environmental footprint. Researchers led by the University of California San Diego have developed a biodegradable form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a soft yet durable commercial plastic used in footwear, floor mats, cushions and memory foam. It is filled with bacterial spores that, when exposed to nutrients present in compost, germinate and break down the material at the end of its life cycle.
The work is detailed in a paper published on April 30 in Nature Communications. The biodegradable TPU was made with bacterial spores from a strain of Bacillus subtilis that has the ability to break down plastic polymer materials.
To make the biodegradable plastic, the researchers fed Bacillus subtilis spores and TPU pellets into a plastic extruder. The ingredients were mixed and melted at 135 degrees Celsius, then extruded as thin strips of plastic.
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MiraCosta College leads Southern California in UC transfer acceptances
MiraCosta College holds the highest transfer acceptance rate to University of California campuses among community colleges in Southern California, based on recent data from the UC system.
According to the data, 84 percent of MiraCosta College students who applied for transfer were accepted into UC campuses, a figure that stands as the highest across the 56 community colleges in the Southern California region. Notably, this acceptance rate surpasses the regional averages for community colleges and the rates for students applying directly from high school.
In the fall of 2023, the University of California, San Diego admitted 74.3 percent of MiraCosta College transfer applicants—remarkably higher than the 24.7 percent acceptance rate for incoming freshmen and the 62.4 percent acceptance rate for all transfer students.
The acceptance rates for MiraCosta College transfer students were high at numerous UC schools, according to data from the Office of the President of the University of California.
9th Circuit reprimands San Diego federal judge for misconduct in handcuffing defendant’s teen daughter
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez “engaged in abusive or harassing behavior” constituting a rare finding of judicial misconduct when he ordered a U.S. marshal to handcuff a defendant’s 13-year-old daughter during a hearing last year in his San Diego courtroom.
Benitez said the incident, which brought the girl to tears, was meant to scare her away from using drugs. But the 9th Circuit’s Judicial Council — a panel of 11 judges tasked in part with resolving disputes and enhancing public understanding and confidence in the judiciary — found Benitez’s conduct impermissible.
Mrs. Laura Diez Barroso and Carlos Laviada receive the Jeffrey Davidow Good Neighbor Award
In recognition of their remarkable dedication to fostering cross-border connectivity and enhancing mobility between the United States and Mexico with the project Cross Border Xpress (CBX), Mrs. Laura Diez Barroso and Carlos Laviada received the prestigious Jeffrey Davidow Good Neighbor Award. The ceremony, held during the 2024 U.S.-Mexico Forum, was organized by the Center of U.S. Mexican Studies at UC San Diego.
Metropolis IQ poised to revolutionize workforce development
Leveraging AI-driven technology, Metropolis IQ has launched in San Diego, where robust technology resources, innovation, and access to venture capital will assist the company in transforming the $21 billion government reporting industry. The company’s forthcoming product, launching this month, will make economic and workforce development insights highly accessible, timely, and cost-effective.
Cetera launches Active ETF Research Select List
Cetera Financial Group the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, announced that Cetera Investment Management (CIM), a registered investment adviser, has launched its Active Exchange Traded Funds Research Select List available to Cetera-affiliated professionals. CIM’s newest select list features 50 active ETFs across 26 equity, fixed income and alternative asset classes, arming Cetera financial professionals with a thoroughly analyzed and vetted list of recommendations in a rapidly growing investment segment.
Starlight Cardiovascular awarded $2 million grant to develop pediatric cardiology device
Starlight Cardiovascular Inc., a company developing pediatric cardiovascular medical devices, announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to advance development of its Pulmonary Flow Restrictor. The award will provide $1,999,870 to support preclinical testing of a device that is designed to prevent detrimental over-circulation to the lungs in babies born with Congenital Heart Disease.
Aon launches suite of risk analyzer tools
Aon pic today launched a new suite of risk analyzer tools that allow brokers in North America to receive exposure data, quantify loss potential and help risk managers make better decisions based on total cost of risk. Aon, a leading global professional services firm, will showcase the new analytic capabilities at the Risk Management Society’s (RIMS) RiskWorld conference in San Diego beginning May 5.
Astellas and Poseida Therapeutics enter research collaboration
Astellas Pharma Inc. and San Diego-based Poseida Therapeutics Inc. announced that Xyphos Biosciences Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas, and Poseida have entered into a research collaboration and license agreement to develop novel convertibleCAR programs by combining the innovative cell therapy platforms from each of the companies. Poseida is advancing differentiated cell and gene therapies with the capacity to cure certain cancers and rare diseases.
Creative Happens takes innovative approach to wedding planning
Creative Happens, a leading event planning company in California, has taken the wedding industry by storm with its innovative and award-winning approach to planning and coordinating weddings that are as unique as the couples they celebrate. With a focus on communication, creativity, and personalization, Creative Happens has become the go-to choice for couples seeking a truly extraordinary wedding experience. The company’s team was recently named the Most Client Focused Wedding Planners in California by LuxLife Magazine.
Amgen highlights new COPD, asthma and vasculitis research at ATS 2024
Amgen announced the presentation of new respiratory data at the American Thoracic Society 2024 International Conference taking place May 12-22 in San Diego. Thirteen abstracts supporting two approved medicines and one investigational treatment will be presented. Other research highlights include late-breaking data from the Phase 1 study of an investigational inhaled anti-TSLP therapy being evaluated in patients with poorly controlled asthma.
New hospital safety grades find significant improvements in patient experience
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit driving a movement for patient safety, released its spring 2024 Hospital Safety Grades to nearly 3,000 general hospitals on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents and infections. Nationally, patient experience—a set of measures using patient-reported perspectives on hospital care—indicates significant signs of improvement since the fall 2023 Safety Grades, and preventable health care-associated infections show a sustained drop after unprecedented rates during the height of the pandemic. Read more
U.S. FDA approves Neurocrine Biosciences’ INGREZZA SPRINKLE capsules
Neurocrine Biosciences announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved INGREZZA SPRINKLE capsules, a new oral granules formulation for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia and chorea associated with Huntington’s disease. INGREZZA SPRINKLE provides an alternative administration option for those who experience dysphagia or have difficulty swallowing. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that is characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal and repetitive movements of the face, torso and/or other body parts.
CIRM awards $11.8 million grant to Denova Biopharma LLC
Denovo Biopharma LLC, a pioneer in applying precision medicine to the development of innovative therapies, announced that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded a $11.8 million grant for further development of DB107, Denovo’s DGM7 biomarker–guided late–stage gene therapy, for high–grade glioma including glioblastoma, a malignant brain cancer. CIRM has awarded the grant to Dr. Noriyuki Kasahara, M.D., at the University of California San Francisco.
Feeding San Diego takes part in national program to support local farmers
Feeding San Diego is now distributing produce from local farms purchased with federal funds intended to bolster the underserved, both farmers and community members served by hunger-relief organizations. Starting last month, Feeding San Diego—a partner food bank of Feeding America—started working with local farm cooperative Foodshed to source locally grown produce as part of the LFPA program and distribute it to 1,350 households at two sites in San Diego County.
Nuvve and Great Power announce strategic partnership to accelerate EV integration
Nuvve Holding Corp., a global technology leader accelerating the electrification of transportation through its proprietary energy management and aggregation platform, and Guangzhou Great Power Energy and Technology Corporation, a global leade in lithium-ion battery manufacturing and research and development, announced a strategic partnership to accelerate stationary storage battery deployments and their integration with the grid.
