Daily Business Report: June 3, 2024
How did a shoplifting bill get through California’s
liberal Assembly with most Democrats opposed?
By Ryan Sabalow | CalMatters
Assemblymember Ash Kalra did something exceptional last week. He was the only legislator to vote “no” on a controversial piece of legislation while nearly half of the 80 members in the state Assembly – and a majority of the Democrats – did not vote.
The bill, which would make it easier to arrest shoplifters, is a recent example of a pattern CalMatters revealed in April with legislators dodging votes to avoid offending the bill’s supporters or to eliminate a record of their opposition on controversial topics.
Assembly Bill 1990 passed the Assembly 44-1 last week with 35 lawmakers not casting a vote including 32 of the 62 Democrats and the Assembly speaker, Robert Rivas. Some of those not voting had excused absences, but the Legislature’s online record does not distinguish between an absence, an abstention or not voting.
The bill would allow police to make an arrest for shoplifting without a warrant, even if they did not witness the crime. Los Angeles Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo, who authored the bill with five Democratic and two Republican coauthors, said it is “in response to the alarming escalation of organized retail theft,” which has become a hot-button political issue. But progressive Democrats, leery of increasing incarceration rates for minor offenses, were uncomfortable with the bill.
Top Photo: Assemblymember Ash Kalra at the state Capitol in Sacramento on June 13, 2023. (Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters)
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Illumina presents research to boost case
for genomic testing in oncology care
SAN DIEGO — Illumina is presenting new research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, which began Friday in Chicago. Highlights include data from several studies in partnership with Labcorp, a leader in comprehensive laboratory services and research and the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville demonstrating further evidence to support the use of comprehensive genomic profiling over single-gene testing.
In total, Illumina, a specialist in DNA sequencing based in San Diego, had 14 abstracts accepted to the meeting.
Illumina and Labcorp share five abstracts accepted at ASCO. The organizations have a longstanding partnership working to build evidence of the clinical impact and value of comprehensive biomarker testing for patients across different cancer types, to increase community oncology physicians’ access to the latest genomic testing.
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Point Loma Coffee Hub and Wine Pub join together as Juno’s
sdnews.com
POINT LOMA — Renamed for an ancient Roman Goddess, Juno’s has combined The Wine Pub & Restaurant and Coffee Hub in Point Loma Village while re-branding and introducing new menu changes.
The re-establishment of Juno’s is the next step in the evolution of the two businesses at 2907 Shelter Island Drive. Owner Roy McClish purchased both businesses at the end of 2021 from Sandy Hanshaw, who founded The Wine Pub in 2009, adding the Coffee Hub five years later.
Of his recent changes, McClish, who comes from a hospitality background including Humphrey’s on Shelter Island said: “We started roasting our coffee beans. We had to buy this big roaster and wholesale beans with a computer set up for it. It helped with costs so I didn’t have to raise prices. We do a light-medium roast, 100 percent organic. It’s our Juno’s brand now. It’s gotten good reviews.”
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Community College District receives $2 million in federal funds
SAN DIEGO — San Diego Community College District has been awarded a $2 million federal grant to finance facility improvements at San Diego Mesa College’s college’s Family Resource Center and the Miramar College Police Academy. The largest appropriation, $1,466,279, will benefit the Family Resource Center, while $500,000 will fund the renovation of the Police Academy. The recently opened Family Resource Center is an area for students to go with their children to study, attend student parent workshops, and create community.. Funding will support the expansion of services through extended hours of operation, additional staff, and more supplies such as diapers and food.
Water Authority begins 3-year project on oldest aqueduct
Coast News Group
POWAY — A three-year construction project on San Diego’s oldest aqueduct is underway, with the San Diego County Water Authority leading the $66 million effort to upgrade the infrastructure. Work on the project, known as the Southern First Aqueduct Facilities Improvement Project, is slated to run through summer 2026 and is intended to retrofit 99 structures connected to two water pipelines.
Pipeline 1 of the First Aqueduct was constructed in the 1940s and Pipeline 2 was built in the 1950s. On Nov. 28, 1947, the first Colorado River water flowed south from Riverside County for 71 miles into San Diego’s San Vicente Reservoir, according to a statement from the water authority.
Jared Burns takes leadership post at San Diego Community College District
SAN DIEGO — Jared Burns, an innovative leader with an extensive background in human resources in higher education and the health care industry has been selected to serve as the new vice chancellor of people, culture, and technology services at the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD).
Burns, will begin working at the district on June 17 after approval from the district’s Governing Board.
Burns comes to San Diego from his position as associate vice president of human resources at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
The college has 11 locations throughout the counties of Stone, George, Jackson, and Harrison, and is the largest community college district in the state. Before working at the college, Burns served as regional director of human resources and workforce development at Consulate Management, a healthcare provider.
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Nick Boyd reappointed to the Board of Behavioral Sciences
SAN DIEGO — Nick Boyd of Spring Valley has been reappointed to the Board of Behavioral Sciences by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
He has served in the post since 2023. Boyd has been director of clinical training for counseling at VA San Diego Healthcare System since 2020 and has been a staff therapist for the Cognitive Therapy Institute since 2019.
Boyd has been a consultant with the eScreening Program at VA San Diego Healthcare System since 2017, adjunct faculty at the University of San Diego since 2018 and an associate professor there since 2023.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Boyd is a Democrat.
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San Diego’s nuclear fusion facility is back up and running
SAN DIEGO — The DIII-D National Fusion Facility, located on the San Diego campus of General Atomics, is back up and running after completing a series of enhancements in recent months. The improvements are one small step in a much larger effort by researchers, scientists and engineers working on projects around the world to achieve the elusive goal of someday building nuclear fusion power plants capable of generating an almost limitless amount of clean electricity to energy consumers.
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Prebys Foundation grants $6 million for youth mental health
The Prebys Foundation announced $6 million in grants to 23 local organizations to support youth and young adults’ mental and emotional well-being, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month. With the CSUSM Foundation and Rady Children’s Hospital among the grant recipients, the funds will focus on diverse groups including Native Americans, LGBTQ+ youth, African refugees, and military families, in hopes of making San Diego a national model for youth well- being.
Biotech startup Rapport Therapeutics files for IPO
San Diego- and Boston-based biotech company Rapport Therapeutics, a spinout from Third Rock and Johnson & Johnson, plans to go public on Nasdaq to fund further clinical development of its precision neuromedicine assets. The company, which launched in March 2023 with an initial $100 million and a $150 Series B shortly after, also has additional programs in consideration for chronic pain and hearing disorders.
Southwestern College nears completion of educational complex
Chula Vista’s Southwestern College is nearing completion of its groundbreaking educational complex, which will offer bachelor’s degrees through partnerships with universities including National University and San Diego State University. This initiative aims to expand educational pathways and strengthen community ties, positioning Chula Vista as a hub for higher education and innovation in Southern California.
Navigate BioPharma Services launch assay
Navigate BioPharma Services, Inc., a specialty laboratory offering high-quality, innovative precision medicine solutions and bioanalytics for clinical development and diagnostic applications, launch a new assay for quantifying pharmacodynamic markers of radioligand therapies in tumors. The development of this assay was presented in a poster titled “Quantifying pharmacodynamic markers of radioligand therapies (RLTs) in tumor by multiplex immunofluorescence and automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) algorithms” at the American Association for Cancer Research 2024 annual meeting in San Diego.
Ducks Unlimited, partners surpass wetlands conservation milestone
For the first time in its 87-year history, Ducks Unlimited acres has delivered 1 million of conservation across North America in one year thanks to more than a million supporters and partners including private landowners, hunters, corporations, major donors, and state and federal agencies. The announcement was made during Ducks Unlimited’s 87th National Convention in San Diego.
Bexion Pharmaceuticals to present at BIO International Convention 2024
Bexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new generation of biologic therapy to treat solid tumor cancers and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), announced that the company will present at the 2024 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention taking place June 3-6, 2024, in San Diego.
Mindset coach Todd Durkin announces release of his first-ever memoir
America’s top mindset coach, international motivational speaker, and founder of the newly-launched IMPACT-X Performance franchise Todd Durkin, is announcing the release of his first-ever memoir, “True Strength: 31 Hard-Earned Lessons for Overcoming Life’s Most Turbulent Times.” In the book, Durkin shares his deeply personal journey of transformation and resilience over the past 3.5 years during the pandemic while he was simultaneously overcoming excruciating physical back pain, mental anguish and depression.
AI health coach lowers blood pressure in patients with hypertension
A new study in JMIR Cardio, published by JMIR Publications, shows that a fully digital, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven lifestyle coaching program can effectively reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension. This AI-based program leverages data from wearable activity trackers and BP monitors as well as a mobile app questionnaire to tailor lifestyle guidance. The research team, led by Jared Leitner of UC San Diego, used this innovative intervention to help manage hypertension and enhance patient engagement, offering a promising alternative to traditional coaching models.
Omega Healthcare presented real-world data curation model
Omega Healthcare released the details of poster sessions co-presented with partners Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) recently at the AACR annual meeting 2024 April 5-10 in San Diego, and later presented at the Cancer Center Informatics Society 2024 Summit & Clinical Trials Workshop April 29-May 1 in La Jolla. The sessions described how MSK and DFCI partnered with Omega Healthcare to deliver high-quality real-world data (RWD) for 6,000+ cancer patients as part of the AACR Project GENIE Biopharma Collaborative. Read more
Copper Cane Wines & Spirits naned official wine partner for Padres and other MLB teams
Copper Cane Wines & Spirits announced its role as the official wine partner for the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and Atlanta Braves for the 2024 MLB season. By partnering with these major league teams, Copper Cane is disrupting the professional sports space, bringing premium wines to stadiums across the nation. As beverage and food programs continue to elevate at sports venues, Copper Cane believes fans are eager to enjoy luxury wines during the game.
Oberon Fuels appoints first general counsel
Renewable fuels producer Oberon Fuels announced the appointment of Eric Stein as the company’s first ever in-house general counsel. In the newly created role of General Counsel, SVP, Stein will serve as Oberon’s first in-house attorney, helping the company create legal structures and negotiate contracts for a range of new renewable fuels to accelerate commercialization across geographies and markets. Stein brings extensive experience in navigating the unique legal requirements of the energy and fuels sectors.
