Daily Business Report: May 30, 2024
How a lost credit card and $7 cheeseburger
reignited California’s debate over excessive bail
By Nigel Duara | CalMatters
By most metrics, Gerald Kowalczyk was a uniquely bad candidate to leave jail before his trial. He had a criminal record of more than 60 convictions, a history of failing to adhere to his release conditions and a pretrial algorithm’s assessment that he presented the highest risk score possible.
A San Mateo Superior Court judge set his bail at $75,000, an amount Kowalczyk, homeless and unemployed, could not pay. The charges were that he used someone else’s credit card to buy a $7 cheeseburger.
He served six months for the 2021 offense, but his case revived California’s long-running debate over bail amounts and it is still playing out. Now, the California Supreme Court is examining his case to decide if it is constitutional for judges to set bail at amounts far higher than a defendant can pay.
The case could help resolve the messy climate around bail in California four years after voters by referendum overturned a law that would have eliminated the cash bail system. Court decisions and a 2008 voter-approved law have created conflicting directives for judges deciding whether they can hold someone before trial at a price tag the defendant cannot afford.
The question for the high court is whether two articles in the California Constitution can harmonize: a defendant’s right to be released on bail except for certain violent or sexual crimes, and a separate article created by the 2008 ballot measure that instructs judges that “public safety and the safety of the victim shall be the primary considerations” in setting bail amounts.
Top Photo: The California Supreme Court has accepted a case that asks whether it is constitutional for judges to set bail at amounts far higher than a defendant can pay. (Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters)
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Program helps students find career path in tobacco research
By Brian Hiro | UC San Marcos
Karissa Tran is a San Marcos native who entered Cal State San Marcos intending to study clinical psychology.
Nicolas Morales is a transfer from Northern Arizona University who came to CSUSM with a goal to become a physical therapist or physician’s assistant.
Both learned through faculty mentors about the existence of a new program to train students in research that would help them lessen the harmful effects of tobacco and vape use in their communities. It didn’t quite dovetail with their academic interests at the time, but both thought it sounded like a good opportunity to develop their research skills in an area that long has been vital to public health in the United States.
Now, almost two years later, Tran and Morales are not only graduating from CSUSM – Tran with a degree in psychology, Morales in kinesiology – but they are standouts in the first cohort of eight students to complete the Smoke and Vape Free Scholars Initiative Program for Reducing Tobacco Disease in Diverse Communities (SVFSIP). The initiative, which involves a partnership with UC San Diego, is the result of a four-year, $1.3 million grant from a state agency named the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, or TRDRP.
The training opportunity is tailored to students from racial/ethnic minoritized, low-income or LGBTQ+ groups, the same populations that studies show are disproportionately targeted by tobacco companies and affected by tobacco-related disease.
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Northrop Grumman expands satellite life-extension services
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s SpaceLogistics LLC announced its agreement to extend, by four years, the revolutionary on-orbit life-extension services its Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) provide to satellite operator, Intelsat.
- At the end of the current servicing period, MEV-1 will relocate and release the Intelsat 901 (IS-901) satellite into the Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) graveyard and provide service for another Intelsat satellite.
- MEV-2 will remain docked to Intelsat’s current vehicle, Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02), providing life-extension for an additional four years – nearly doubling service from the original contract.
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Protalix BioTherapeutics to present at 2024 BIO International Convention
Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced by its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell based protein expression system, announced that Dror Bashan, its president and chief executive officer, will present at the upcoming 2024 BIO International Convention June 3 – 6 in San Diego. Bashan will provide senior biotech executives, business development leaders and investors with an update on corporate matters.
TuSimple reaches settlement agreement with Committee on Foreign Investment
TuSimple Holdings Inc., a global autonomous driving technology company, announced it has reached a settlement agreement with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States relating to events that occurred in 2022. These events include the temporary vacancies in the security director position and on the board’s government security committee, and whether certain covered intellectual property was transferred contrary to the national security agreement. The settlement concludes and resolves the matters without any admission of fault by TuSimple.
CLEAR expands enrollment and renewal options by opening new location
CLEAR, an authorized TSA PreCheck enrollment provider, continues to expand locations to enroll and renew consumers in the Trusted Traveler program by opening a new location at San Diego International Airport (SAN). CLEAR now has 13 TSA PreCheck enrollment locations open across the U.S. The launch of the enrollment location in San Diego represents the ongoing expansion of CLEAR’s national TSA PreCheck enrollment footprint. Throughout 2024, CLEAR will continue delivering convenience to consumers by launching additional locations and extended hours of operation for enrollment and renewals.
Halia Therapeutics to participate at BIO International Convention
Halia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of small molecule medications designed to combat inflammation, announced that the company will be participating at the upcoming conferences: BIO International Convention taking place June 3-6 in San Diego and at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 Hybrid Congress taking place June 13-16 in Madrid, Spain. Halia Therapeutics is discovering and developing a pipeline of novel therapeutics to improve patients’ lives with chronic inflammatory disorders and neurodegenerative diseases
Cask releases 2024 high-performing ServiceNow Program Report
Cask, a leading ServiceNow partner and provider of digital transformation solutions, released its highly anticipated 2024 High-Performing ServiceNow Program Report. This comprehensive report provides in-depth insights into the practices and strategies that distinguish top-performing ServiceNow programs. The Report offers valuable guidance for organizations seeking to optimize their ServiceNow investment. Readers will find best practices and critical success factors from high-performing ServiceNow programs across various industries.
Nanoscope Therapeutics to present at the BIO International Convention
Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc., a late-stage clinical biotechnology company developing gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases and age-related macular degenerations (AMD), announced that management will present at the BIO International Convention, taking place June 3-6, 2024, at the San Diego Convention Center. Session will be Wednesday, June 5, at 4:30 p.m. Presenter will be Sulagna Bhattacharya, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nanoscope Therapeutics.
Petco Health and Wellness Company announces leadership change
Petco Health and Wellness Company Inc. announced the evolution of the Executive Leadership Team as a part of the company’s ongoing efforts to simplify decision making, focus on fewer and clearer priorities, and empower the organization to move with greater speed and agility. As a part of the changes announced, James Roth has been appointed chief stores officer, reporting directly to Interim CEO Mike Mohan. In this role, Roth will lead operations across all Pet Care Centers in the United States and Puerto Rico. Roth most recently served as executive vice president, Stores for Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Neurocrine Biosciences announces CEO succession plan
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc.nnounced that Kevin Gorman, Ph.D., will retire as chief executive officer of Neurocrine on Oct. 11, 2024. Kyle Gano, Ph.D., currently Neurocrine’s chief business development and strategy officer, will succeed him in the CEO role. Dr. Gano will also join the companys board of directors at that time, and Dr. Gorman will continue to serve on the Neurocrine board. Dr. Gorman founded Neurocrine in 1992 and held numerous positions across the Company, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Business Officer, and Senior Vice President of Business Development.
Illumina releases 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, published its fifth annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. The report highlights the company’s ongoing commitments and progress made in 2023 toward advancing human health by serving as a champion for patients, communities, employees, and the planet. The full report is available on Illumina’s CSR website.
Sandiola serves as lead sponsor for the first Pull-up for Hunger event
Sandiola proudly announces the successful completion of the first annual Pull-Up for Hunger fundraiser, held on May 21, 2024, at San Dieguito Academy High School in Encinitas. In collaboration with The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and the San Dieguito Academy High School Boys Lacrosse team, the event aimed to fight hunger and build awareness around food insecurity in San Diego County. Sandiola specializes in improving financial performance and quality outcomes for independent, community hospitals by addressing Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) staffing challenges.
