Tourism Picks Up
Data from Smith Travel Research show that San Diego's hotel business continues to do better. The occupancy rate for June of this year was 70.3%, up from 67.3% in June of 2011. The average daily room rate was $128 this …
Two Charged with Fraudulent Wheelchair Medicare Claims
A doctor and a merchant were charged today (July 25) with defrauding Medicare by selling power wheelchairs that patients did not need and billing Medicare. Dr. Irving J. Schwartz was arrested in Yuba City and Jose Melendez, owner of a …
Eight Individuals Charged in Customs Fraud
Eight persons and three corporations were charged with illegally importing hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign goods into the U.S. in a complaint unsealed today (July 25). According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the defendants ran a scheme to …
Firm Predicts Second Wave of County Foreclosures
At a time when some local economists are forecasting a bottoming of the housing market, Blue Sky Capital is predicting a second wave of county foreclosures that could be worse than the one a few years back. Blue Sky says …
Walking on Coals Backfires at Tony Robbins Event
The Associated Press is reporting that 21 people at a San Jose event hosted by San Diego-based motivational speaker Tony Robbins suffered burns while walking across hot coals. The injuries took place Thursday. Having attendees walk across hot coals is …
Jack in the Box Is 5th Most Popular Fast Burger Joint
Research firm Technomic has put together a list of the top 15 fast food brands in America. The list has been presented by Business Insider. San Diego's Jack in the Box is 15th most popular fast food chain, and 5th …
Holmes's Father Is Anti-Fraud Scientist
According to reporting by San Diego Reader editor Matt Potter, the father of the suspected Colorado mass murderer is almost certainly an anti-fraud scientist at a San Diego company. He is Robert M. Holmes, senior lead scientist at the San …
San Diego Unemployment Rate Rises
San Diego County's unemployment rate was 9.2% in June, up from a revised 8.8% in May, but below the year-ago rate of 10.4%, according to the California Employment Development Department. Nonfarm employment rose in the area,however, by 13,400 jobs. Leisure …
Alleged Colorado Mass Murderer Is from San Diego
MORE ON MASS SHOOTING: James Holmes, who is in custody in Colorado for a mass killing in an Aurora theater, originally lived in San Diego, according to news reports. The mother, Arlene Holmes of Rancho Peñasquitos, allegedly told authorities, "You've …
Mother of Suspected Mass Murderer Lives in Rancho Penasquitos
James Holmes, 24, is in custody in Colorado for gunning down 12 people in a mass shooting in a movie theater last night in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. Holmes's mother lives in Rancho Penasquitos and allegedly told ABC News, …
Qualcomm Expectations Disappoint, but Stock Rises After Hours
Stock of telecom superstar Qualcomm is up 2.16%% to $57.26 in after hours trading today (July 18) despite the company's announcement of disappointing forecasts. Qualcomm said that fourth quarter earnings per share would be 62 cents to 68 cents; Wall …
Chargers 33rd Most Valuable Sports Team, Says Forbes
The San Diego Chargers are the 33rd most valuable sports franchise, according to the latest compilation by Forbes.com. The team is worth $920 million, says the publication. "The Chargers have been trying in vain to get a taxpayer-funded stadium built …
Lawsuit Details Massive Insider Selling at Bridgepoint
A lawsuit newly filed in federal court by the law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd spells out the massive dumping of shares by Bridgepoint top management. The suit represents those who acquired Bridgepoint stock between May 3, 2011 …
One Columnist Wasn't Fooled by Paterno's, Penn State's Feigned Piety
The 919 Gang, a daily online newspaper going to more than 500 current and former U-T reporters and writers, has a fascinating report today (July 15) on Penn State and Joe Paterno. Tom Cushman, retired sports editor and columnist for …
Stocks Might Be More Than 50% Lower without Federal Reserve Boosts
A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York may validate what cynics like me have been saying for many years: statements and actions by the Federal Reserve are pumping up the stock market tremendously. The study looked at …
Bridgepoint: Huge Profits, but Possibly No Future
San Diego's Bridgepoint Education, the for-profit university that Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa bluntly calls "a scam," is amazingly profitable. It sports a 25.30% return on assets and a 44.7% return on equity, to go with a profit margin of …
24-Year Fugitive Nabbed in Mexico; Faces Charges in San Diego
Vincent Legrend Walters, who has been on the run for 24 years, has been captured in Cancun and will be transported to Mexico City to face extradition proceedings to bring him back to San Diego where he will face murder …
Three Charged in Mortgage Loan Origination, Kickback Scheme
A May 10 federal indictment unsealed today (July 12) charges Mary Armstrong, Ramona real estate agent Teresa Rose, and William Fountain with devising and pulling off a loan origination and kickback scheme that involved homes in Ramona and El Cajon. …
Odds Padres Will Win World Series, 400-1, Better Than Some
With the baseball season half over, there are four National League teams with awful records. Their records are separated by a fraction of a hair: Padres .391, Colorado .388, Chicago Cubs .388 and Houston Astros .384. But according to World …
San Bernardino Council Votes for Bankruptcy
San Bernardino's city council last night voted 4-2, with one abstention, to go into Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Prior to the vote, the city attorney said the city could not pay employees August 15. The city experienced a real estate bust …