Daily Business Report: Sept. 20, 2023
Planned Parenthood employees unionize,
say they’re overworked as abortions increase
By Shreya Agrawal | CalMatters
Mia Neustein calls her work for Planned Parenthood in the Coachella Valley her “dream job.” She believes in the organization’s mission, and wants to be a part of it for years to come.
But the pace of that work has increased substantially since last year, when the Supreme Court ended the nationwide right to abortion, leading some out-of-state patients to travel to Southern California for care.
That trend, coupled with several local decisions that she said exacerbated stresses on her colleagues, led workers at her clinic last week to vote to create a union. They’re joining a labor movement taking root at a number of other Planned Parenthood clinics in states that have protected abortion rights since the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade.
“The types of working conditions that we’ve been dealing with, especially in the last year or so, have really pushed people toward realizing how necessary a union is,” said Neustein, who started working for Planned Parenthood as a health center educator two years ago.
Her clinic belongs to Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, a group of 26 sites in Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties that regularly sees patients from states with abortion restrictions. The organization estimates that 10 percent of its patients since the 2022 Supreme Court decision have come from other states.
Photo: Planned Parenthood office at 7035 Convoy Court in Kearny Mesa.
San Diego’s NASSCO will build huge Navy ship
to be named in honor of abolitionist Harriet Tubman
A Navy fuel ship that’s scheduled to be built in San Diego will bear the name of the abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who helped hundreds of enslaved people escape from the American South in the 1800s along a secret route known as the Underground Railroad.
Photo: An undated, black-and-white photo shows Harriet Tubman after the Civil War. Tubman was the most famous conductor of enslaved people to freedom along the Underground Railroad. (National Archives)
The decision was announced last week by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, maintaining the Navy’s practice of naming John Lewis-class fleet oilers after civil rights leaders and social activists.
“Harriet Tubman is more than deserving of this recognition,” Del Toro said in a statement. “She was born into unimaginable circumstances, but she dedicated her life to facing greater danger and adversity, becoming a ‘conductor of freedom’, helping others escape slavery.
British Airways to increase flights to London
British Airways announced Tuesday it will increase its nonstop service with a second daily flight between San Diego International Airport (SAN) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) effective April 20, 2024.
British Airways has served SAN-LHR daily since June 2011 with one nonstop flight per day. The current flights (BA273 and BA272) will be retimed arriving in San Diego from London at 6:10 p.m. and departing San Diego for London at 8 p.m. The new second flight (BA265 and BA264) will arrive in San Diego at 3:25 p.m. and depart for London at 5:15 p.m. BA 264/BA265 will operate on 272-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft and BA272/BA273 will operate on 214-seat Boeing 787-8 aircraft. With the additional flight, summer 2024 seat inventory to London will increase 47 percent from summer 2023 levels.
Key energy bills headed to Gov. Newsom’s desk
Gavin Newsom better have a big desk.
Of more than 2,600 bills introduced in the legislative session that wrapped up late last week, about 840 managed to navigate their way through the Assembly and Senate. The bills that survived the legislative gauntlet now await their respective fates at the hand of the governor, who has an Oct. 13 deadline to sign them into law or veto them.
Click here to look at some of the noteworthy energy bills Newsom will consider
Northrop receives $458 million Navy order
For E-2D Advanced Hawkeye systems refresh
GovConWire
Northrop Grumman has booked a five-year, $458.2 million order to modernize the navigation, controls, tactical mission computer and display systems of the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
Under the sole-source award that the Naval Air Systems Command issued against a basic ordering agreement, Northrop will be responsible for the retrofit installation of the cockpit technical refresh and theater combat identification, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Work is expected to run through September 2028. Around 54 percent of the services will take place in Florida and the rest in Canada and various other locations in the U.S.
An initial $66.6 million from the Navy’s fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated at the time of the award.
San Diego Community College Board
of Trustees adopts $1 billion budget
The San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees has adopted a $1 billion budget for 2023-24 that includes increased supports and services for students and fiscal reserves to ensure the district’s financial stability.
The balanced 2023-24 budget, reflecting a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year, provides funding to serve approximately 80,000 students at its four colleges – San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and San Diego College of Continuing Education.
The budget includes $616 million in General Fund spending and $403 million in other funds. Among the highlights are $75 million in state funding for an affordable student housing project at City College and a $24 million general fund increase that is the result of the state’s adoption of an 8.22 percent COLA.
Ligand spins out and merges Pelican subsidiary
With Primordial Genetics to form Primrose Bio
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc.announced that it has entered into a merger agreement, where its subsidiary, Pelican Technology Holdings Inc., has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Primrose Bio Inc. Primrose Bio is a stand-alone private company focused on synthetic biology. Ligand retains the existing commercial royalties related to the Pelican Expression Technology and will own 49.9 percent of Primrose Bio. Ligand entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Primrose Bio and contributed $15 million in exchange for a portion of the economic rights from two contracts previously entered into by Primordial Genetics .
Fresh Start Surgical Gifts to present 2023 October Butterfly Gala
National nonprofit Fresh Start Surgical Gifts will hole its 2023 Annual Oktoberfest Butterfly Gala, a celebration that promises an evening of transforming lives, philanthropy and community spirit. The event is set to take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, bringing together supporters, advocates and beneficiaries for a night of fundraising and impact. The event will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. Get tickets
Côta Vera 5K Fun Run set for Oct. 14
Runners and walkers are invited to register for the Côta Vera 5K Fun Run, which will wind through the 155-acre Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (formerly the Olympic Training Center), giving participants up-close views of the prestigious training facilities for more than a dozen Olympic sports. The Oct. 14 family event will finish with a festive beer garden, food trucks, and vendor displays. Participants will receive two complimentary drink tickets and swag. Registration is $25 per person. Register here
Variety of speakers featured at ‘Vision 2030’ Adult Education Summit
More than 40 California community college leaders, elected officials and representatives from business and industry will speak at the San Diego College of Continuing Education for an Oct. 5-6 summit focused on eliminating barriers that are keeping adult learners from reaching their educational and career goals. Called “A Call to Action: Adult Education Summit,” the gathering is among a series of summits being held under the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
Gun bill goes to the governor’s desk
The California State Legislature passed AB 28, a landmark measure that would impose an 11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition sold by gun manufacturers and dealers. Having cleared both the Assembly and Senate by a 2/3 supermajority vote, AB 28 – which is officially known as the Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act – is on its way to Gov. Newsom’s desk.
San Diego Restaurant Week set for Sept. 24-Oct. 1
San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by the California Restaurant Association, will feature over 100 restaurants throughout San Diego County, from Oceanside to Chula Vista, Sunday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 1. Diners will be treated to diverse menus featuring special prix-fixe pricing for both lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy two-course lunches and three-course dinners starting at just $20 and increasing in $10 increments.
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party is coming to San Diego’s Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd. on Sept. 23-24 for three performances. There will be unveiling of a brand-new Hot Wheels Monster Truck at the show. The world’s first and only disabled monster truck driver and veteran, Joe Cypher, will be driving one of the trucks. The truck has been modified to accommodate his injuries.
Beauty Lounge Medical Spa partners with Latina
Giving Circle to create facials for Hispanics
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Beauty Lounge Medical Spa has partnered with the Latina Giving Circle of San Diego to create an extra special “Heritage Glow” facial designed specifically to target common skincare challenges the Hispanic community faces. A portion of “Hispanic Glow” facial proceeds will be donated to the Latina Giving Circle to help fund their current grant cycle, centered around the Leadership Development of Latinas in the San Diego Region.
Casa Familiar awarded $500,000 from Mellon Foundation
Casa Familiar in San Ysidro has been awarded $500,000 from the Mellon Foundation to support arts and culture programming through the FRONT Arte y Cultura gallery and El Salon community theater over the next two years. The Mellon Foundation is one of the nation’s biggest supporters of the arts and humanities. Through their support, Casa Familiar will elevate the work of borderland artists and cultural bearers, uplift border communities, and invest in regional and transborder collaborations.
Art Glass Guild hosts 2023 Fall Patio Show and Sale
The Art Glass Guild will be hosting their 2023 Fall Patio Show and Sale on Oct. 14-15. This show is the largest Art Glass show in Southern California and is focused on showcasing art created by local San Diego Glass Artists. Visitors will see the patio full of juried artists exhibiting their creations as they stroll through Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. Beautiful art glass exhibiting techniques such as: blown, fused, torch, stained, cast, etched and mosaic will be on display. There will be entertainment including demonstrations featuring torch-work with glass.
