San Diego, CA

Daily Business Report: Jan. 3, 2024, San Diego Metro Magazine

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

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Daily Business Report: Jan. 3, 2024, San Diego Metro Magazine

Visual Capitalist

Who Are America’s Most Popular CEOs?

What do the employees at America’s largest companies think of the leadership?

To answer that, we visualize CEO approval ratings gathered by professional social network Blind.

The results are based on a survey of 13,171 verified professionals in the U.S., conducted between Aug. 18–23, 2023. Respondents were asked if they approve or disapprove of the way their CEO is handling their job.

By far, the most popular CEO right now (according to Blind’s respondents anyway) is Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, with an astonishing 96 percent approval rating.

Huang’s numbers point to a theme in the data. Blind notes that there is a correlation between company stock performance and CEO approval rating. Nvidia’s critical role in the artificial intelligence hype train has sent shares up nearly 3x year-on-year. Their financials for the last three quarters show that profit is already up more than four-fold from last year.

Crucially, Huang also avoided layoffs that were otherwise rampant in the tech industry, helping his popularity among the staff.

In fact, the Blind survey uncovered that all of the 10 most popular CEOs, with the exception of Andrew Anag from AutoDesk, did not cut jobs in the last year.

View the infographic

The Least Popular CEOs by Employee Approval Ratings

Eric Nordstrom (Nordstrom) and David Goeckeler (Western Digital) shared the lowest approval rating possible in the poll: 0 percent. From Blind’s methodology section, this means not a single surveyed employee answered “strongly approve” or “somewhat approve” to the question.

Both companies cut nearly 200 jobs in 2023, with Nordstrom also responsible for the job losses amongst the company’s wage workers, who staffed the many retail stores the company shuttered.

Also featuring on this list of least-liked CEOs: Evan Spiegel (3 percent), who reduced Snap’s workforce by a fifth and Linda Yaccarino (4 percent), who heads X (formerly Twitter) that has been in turmoil since Elon Musk acquired the company in October, 2022.

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A woman passes by signs advertising Black Friday sales in 2021. (File photo by REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

New California law will compensate

consumers defrauded by businesses

By Levi Sumagaysay | CalMatters

Businesses that defraud consumers sometimes pay a couple of thousand dollars in civil penalties under current California law. Or they’ll be ordered to pay millions of dollars, but close down or declare bankruptcy, leaving their victims without compensation.

A new law effective Jan. 1 will help change that: It will establish a restitution fund in the state treasury that can be used to try to fully reimburse consumers.

Assembly Bill 1366 will let the state attorney general pursue disgorgement, or repayment of ill-gotten gains, in cases where companies violate unfair competition or false advertising laws. The money recovered would go into the new fund.

“When a predatory business takes advantage of a consumer, it’s only right that the proceeds gained from illegal conduct should go towards compensating victims rather than remaining in the bank accounts of bad actors,” state Assemblymember Brian Maienschein,

a Democrat from San Diego who authored the legislation, said after the governor signed it in October.

NASA sets coverage for ULA,

Astrobotic Artemis robotic moon launch

As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Astrobotic are targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Peregrine will land on the Moon on Friday, Feb. 23. The NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis and in advance of human missions on the lunar surface.

San Diego County Fair’s Street Banner Program announced

The San Diego County Fair is kicking off its 2024 community outreach efforts by

opening up applications for its Street Banner Program. The program is one of the more beloved activities of the community-centric San Diego County Fair, which also features myriad programs for youth, nonprofits, families, various diasporas, and others.

Cities and community organizations will have two weeks to submit an application to participate in the program this year.

During the 2023 Fair season — after a three-year Street Banner Program hiatus that was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic — more than 800 street banners were installed in 17 communities around the county, within the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Lemon Grove.

Community leaders are encouraged to visit the Fair’s website and submit an online application to participate in the program no later than Monday, January 15, 2024. Photo sessions are scheduled to take place during the month of February.

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Scripps scientists study atmospheric

rivers with Hurricane Hunter flights

Hurricane Hunter flights gathering data on atmospheric rivers to improve weather forecasting led by Scripps scientists in La Jolla have resumed for the winter. Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow atmospheric regions, typically several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. They can carry a greater flux of water than Earth’s largest river, the Amazon, and have been increasing slightly in intensity over the past century.

To better understand and forecast atmospheric rivers, “Hurrican Hunter” aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron began flights in November over the Pacific Ocean to last through March. It is part of the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Scripps to pay $6.8 million, rescind mandatory retirement age policy

Scripps Clinic Medical Group has agreed to pay more than $6.8 million to resolve allegations that it imposed a mandatory retirement age on physician employees. The settlement agreement stems from age and disability discrimination allegations filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the EEOC, a subsequent investigation concluded there was “reasonable cause to believe that Scripps Clinic Medical Group violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).”

GoMacro benefits Feeding San Diego and Solutions for Change

GoMacro, known for its organic, plant-based nutrition bars, announced their continued partnership with Feeding San Diego and Solutions for Change for the eighth year in a row. As part of GoMacro’s Give Back Bar program, a percentage of annual net proceeds from the Everlasting Joy MacroBar is donated to the two nonprofit orgganizations.

Southern Border Coalition seeking nominations

The California Jobs First’s Southern Border Coalition is seeking members of the community to serve as leaders in shaping a resilient carbon-neutral economy in San Diego and Imperial counties. They will play a key role in creating an inclusive economic development plan focused on green jobs in disinvested communities. Interested parties may apply using the Sector Lead Nomination & Application form, which describes the 15 sectors as well as sector lead responsibilities.

Oceanside names new assistant chief of police

Oceanside Police announced that Capt. Taurino Valdovinos will be the department’s next assistant chief of police, replacing assistant chief Sean Marchand, who retired. Valdovinos has been with Oceanside Police for 20 years and has worked on a variety of specialized assignments, including the Gang Suppression Unit, Special Enforcement Section and the Neighborhood Police Team, according to the department.

Oceanside accepts Fish and Wildlife funds for sand dune project

The City of Oceanside has accepted a $56,876 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to install and monitor dunes on the backend of several northern city beaches as part of a pilot project to restore habitat and retain sand. The City Council unanimously approved the Oceanside Coastal Dune Restoration Project funds at its Dec. 20 meeting. The project will test a nature-based sand retention solution by installing dunes to help protect the shoreline from rising sea levels and coastal flooding by elevating the beach, acting as a buffer between the ocean and local infrastructure.

Carlsbad to consider increasing affordable housing minimums

The Carlsbad Housing Commission voted on Dec. 14 to recommend increasing the minimum affordability requirements for new residential developments and rezoning city-owned land to help meet the city’s state-mandated affordable housing goals. The commission’s approval sends the proposal to the City Council, which is set to review and consider the proposed changes on Jan. 30, 2024. The city is addressing the gap between planned affordable housing and actual construction by setting higher minimum affordability requirements.

County Water Authority to drop lawsuit over Rainbow, Fallbrook departures

The San Diego County Water Authority has agreed to drop its lawsuit over the proposed departure of two North County water agencies, it was announced Dec. 21. The lawsuit filed earlier this year challenged a decision by the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission to allow the Rainbow Municipal Water District and Fallbrook Public Utility District to leave the water authority. The recent settlement allows Rainbow and Fallbrook’s water agencies to depart and includes a $25 million payment from both agencies, plus other costs and fees.

NCTD board approves Shawn Donaghy as next CEO

The North County Transit District Board of Directors unanimously approved Shawn M. Donaghy as the agency’s new CEO. Donaghy will take over for interim Executive Director Paul Ballard – who was brought on after the retirement of long-time Executive Director Matthew O. Tucker. Donaghy’s appointment follows a four-month, nationwide search by the board of directors. Most recently, Donaghy was the CEO of C-TRAN in Vancouver, Washington.

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San Diego, CA

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

Published

11 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Military bases in San Diego County increase security following Iran attacks

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.

The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.

Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.

Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.

The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.

As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.

The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.

Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.

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San Diego, CA

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

Published

23 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

SD Unified moves forward with layoffs of classified employees

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.

The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.

The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.

Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.

The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.

Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.

Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.

“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.

The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.

Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.

“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.

Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.

Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.

Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.

“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”

Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.

“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.

Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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San Diego, CA

Scripps Oceanography granted $15M for deep sea, glacier science

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Scripps Oceanography granted M for deep sea, glacier science

The Fund for Science and Technology, a new private foundation, granted Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego $15 million for ocean science Tuesday.

FFST, funded by the estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was started in 2025 with a commitment to invest at least $500 million over four years to “propel transformative science and technology for people and the planet.”

“Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is pushing boundaries for exploration and discovery across the global ocean,” Chancellor Pradeep Khosla said. “This visionary support from the Fund for Science and Technology will enable Scripps researchers to advance our understanding of our planet, which has meaningful implications for communities around the world.”

The grant, the largest of its kind since Scripps joined UCSD in 1960, will go toward research in three areas: monitoring of environmental DNA and other biomolecules in marine ecosystems, adding to the Argo network of ocean observing robots, and enhancing the study of ocean conditions beneath Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, often referred to as the “Doomsday Glacier.”

Scripps Institution of Oceanography has used Argo floats for more than two decades to track climate impacts in our oceans. NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe reports.

“The Fund for Science and Technology was created to support transformational science in the search of answers to some of the planet’s most complex questions,” said Dr. Lynda Stuart, president and CEO at the fund. “Scripps has a long tradition of leadership at the frontiers of ocean and climate science, and this work builds on that legacy — strengthening the tools and insights needed to understand our environment at a truly global and unprecedented scale.”

Scripps Director Emeritus Margaret Leinen will use a portion of the grant in her analysis of eDNA — free-floating fragments of DNA shed by organisms into the environment — in understudied parts of the ocean to collect crucial baseline data on marine organisms, according to a statement from Scripps.

“In many regions, we know very little about the microbial communities that form the base of the ocean food web or that make deep sea ecosystems so unique,” Leinen said. “Without data, we can’t predict how these communities are going to respond to climate change or what the consequences might be. That’s a vulnerability — and this funding will help us begin to address it.”

Using autonomous samplers that can collect ocean water for eDNA analysis, as well as conventional sampling, scientists will use tools to “reveal the biology of the open ocean and polar regions.”

According to Scripps, the international Argo program has more than 4,000 floats that drift with currents and periodically dive to measure temperature, salinity and pressure. Standard floats can record data up to depths of 2,000 meters (6,560 feet), while newer Deep Argo floats can dive to 6,000 meters (19,685 feet).

The grant funding announced Tuesday will allow for Scripps to deploy around 50 Deep Argo floats along with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Sarah Purkey, physical oceanographer at Scripps and Argo lead, said this leap forward in deep ocean monitoring comes at a crucial time because the deep sea has warmed faster than expected over the last two decades.

Thwaites Glacier is Antarctica’s largest collapsing glacier and contains enough ice to raise global sea level by roughly two feet if it were to collapse entirely. According to Scripps, prior expeditions led by scientist Jamin Greenbaum discovered anomalously warm water beneath the glacier’s ice shelf — contributing to melting from below. Greenbaum now seeks to collect water samples and other measurements from beneath Thwaites’ ice tongue to disentangle the drivers of its rapid melting.

This season’s Antarctic fieldwork will “test hypotheses about the drivers of Thwaites’ rapid melt with implications for sea-level rise projections,” the statement from Scripps said.

“The ocean holds answers to some of the most pressing questions about our planet’s future, but only if we can observe it,” said Meenakshi Wadhwa, director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and vice chancellor for marine sciences at UCSD. “This historic grant will help ocean scientists bring new tools and approaches to parts of the ocean we’ve barely begun to explore.”

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