Donald Trump could get SLAPPed
Appeals court reverses Judge Irma Gonzalez in case critical to consumers' rights
In a lawsuit whose outcome might be critical to the ability of individuals and journalists to smoke out bad business practices, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday (April 17) told U.S. District Court Judge Irma Gonzalez to think …
Sierra Club wins climate change lawsuit against county
Judge says Climate Action Plan has no enforcement mechanism on greenhouse gas emissions
Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor ruled for the Sierra Club yesterday (April 19) in a suit it had filed against the county's Climate Action Plan (CAP). The club argued that the county plan contains no enforcement mechanism for reducing greenhouse …
Report: Tony Robbins buys $25 million home in Palm Beach
Happiness guru apparently buys year-old home on ocean front
According to the publication South Florida Real Estate, San Diego-based motivational speaker Anthony (Tony) Robbins, has bought a $24.75 million Palm Beach home, "according to several sources." The home that the self-styled purveyor of inner peace has bought has six …
SD March unemployment drops to 7.7%
Jobs up 8,300 over month, 32,600 over year
The San Diego County unemployment rate for March was 7.7%, down from a revised 8% in February, according to the California Employment Development Department. The county gained 8,300 jobs in over the month; leisure and hospitality jobs rose 3,600 -- …
Tech grads: job search will worsen dramatically if immigration bill passes
As H-1B barriers would loosen, employers would win, U.S. employees lose
Recent college grads, doctoral candidates, and skilled professionals will find the already-rough job market much rougher if the immigration overhaul proposed in the Senate Wednesday (April 17) gets into law, says a new article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Consider the H-1B …
Former SDCERA employee blames Aguirre, law firm for his firing
But Aguirre says Jeff Baker gave two different stories in two different courts
According to Courthouse News Service, Jeffrey Baker has sued attorneys Mike Aguirre and one of his partners, Chris Morris, and their firm, Aguirre Morris & Severson, for malpractice, fraud, and other alleged offenses. Baker claims that Aguirre encouraged him to …
Report blasts CPUC's laxity toward safety
Relations with utilities too cozy; legislator calls for Peevey firing
A report, due to be released today (April 17), blasts the California Public Utilities Commission for its "anti-safety" attitude and "resistance to challenging utilities," according to the Sacramento Bee, to which the report was leaked. The report blames a workplace …
Possible portent: helmet maker found liable in football injury
Colorado jury says Riddell responsible for $3.1 million in damages
A Trinidad, Colorado jury has found football helmet maker Riddell responsible for 27% of the monetary damages awarded to a high school football player who suffered severe brain damage and paralysis at a practice. The total award was $11.5 million. …
Reporter, laid off by U-T, wins Pulitzer Prize
Story was edited by ex-U-Ter who was an editor in two previous Pulitzer winners
David Hasemyer, who was laid off by the Union-Tribune in one of its several pogroms, is one of three reporters winning the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, according to an announcement today (April 15). The other reporters are Elizabeth …
For-profit college to pay $700,000 fine for falsifying records
United States University altered documents so students could get Pell grants
United States University has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $686,720, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The school's former financial aid director, Christina Miller, pleaded guilty to falsifying loan applications so students could get Pell grants from the …
Do "speak no evil" obits inform readers?
U-T's encomium on Red Scott omitted key details
"Speak no evil of the dead," is advice that many newspapers follow in a non-paid obituary. However, many of the credible daily papers, such as the New York Times, strive to do balanced reports on the life of a person …
Where are potential tax cheats? San Diego, perhaps
IRS data point to clusters of possible small business chiselers
The Associated Press today (April 14) has a story on where tax cheats are likely to be clustered, according to data from the National Taxpayer Advocate. It used confidential Internal Revenue Service data from 2009 tax returns to try to …
He defrauded clients, then plotted their murders
Ramona's Steven Martinez gets almost 24 years in prison
Former Internal Revenue Service agent Steven Martinez of Ramona today (April 12) was sentenced to 286 months (almost 24 years) in prison for defrauding clients, then plotting to have four of them killed to keep them from testifying against him. …
Pendleton's "Godfather" charged with bribery
Construction supervisor Cervantes allegedly extorted bribes from contractors
Natividad Lara "Nate" Cervantes, who referred to himself as the "Godfather at Camp Pendleton," was arraigned today (April 12) on bribery charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Cervantes, supervisor for construction and service contracts at Pendleton, used his position …
David Copley's "Foxhole" mansion on sale for $7.95 million
15,300 square feet, nine full baths, three half-baths.
Former Union-Tribune publisher and owner David Copley, who died at age 60, in the 1970s built a small home and then began expanding it. It grew into a 15,300 square foot mansion with seven bedrooms, nine full bathrooms and three …
SeaWorld going public. Don't bite.
Deal has fishy smell. Insiders will make out like bandits
SeaWorld Entertainment, including San Diego's facility and Chula Vista's Soak City water park, intends to go public this week at between $24 and $27 a share (likely $25.50). In my judgment, this one shines and stinks like a rotten mackerel …
You're still paying fat percentage of income for your home
Consolation: it's a bit lower than in the pre-bubble years
Because of the startlingly low interest rates (3% to 4% mortgages), Americans are devoting a lower percentage of their monthly income to servicing their mortgages than they were in the pre-bubble years, according to information released by Zillow.com this morning …
Jefferson: Most unemployed lawyers AND most indebted
More than 31% of Jefferson law grads jobless nine months from graduation
According to the Business Insider, 31% of San Diego's Thomas Jefferson School of Law 2012 grads did not have a job of any kind nine months after graduation -- highest of any U.S. law school. Also, Jefferson graduates have an …
$350 million casino to rise in Jamul, Dulzura area
Joint project of Jamul Indian Village and Penn National Gaming
Jamul Indian Village, which has six acres of trust land, plans to build a Hollywood-branded $360 million casino 20 miles east of San Diego, off Route 94, along with Penn National Gaming of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. According to the plans, there …
Whistleblower David Peffer resigns from UCAN
Board continues to cover up financial wrongdoing, he says
David Peffer, who informed the board of Utllity Consumers' Action Network of financial irregularities, has resigned, saying the new board continues to cover up the mess rather than try to straighten out the organization. Peffer, a lawyer, originally informed the …