Rumor: Manchester to Buy Register Thursday or Friday
According to a rumor making the rounds at the UT, "Papa Doug" Manchester, owner of the paper, will as expected buy the Orange County Register, and the announcement will be made Thursday or Friday. The rumor of Manchester's interest in …
UCAN Likely to Get New Executive Director
Beleaguered Utility Consumers' Action Network will probably get a new executive director, according to the second report of the court-appointed receiver, Richard Kipperman, which has been filed with Superior Court. Kipperman says in the filing that a potential global settlement …
San Diego: Another Day, Another Ponzi
John Clement of Encinitas was sentenced today (May 22) to two years in custody for defrauding investors in his $4.9 million Ponzi scheme named Edgefund Capital. He was also ordered to pay $4.9 million inn restitution, according to the U.S. …
Bill Demanding CPUC Transparency Dies in Senate
The state senate yesterday (May 21) defeated SB1000, which would have required the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to make public all investigative orders, accident reports, and similar documents. It got 21 votes, two fewer than needed for passage. The …
Facebook Hype Indicate Peak? Year 2000 Worse
The highly-hyped stock of Facebook is trading down today (May 21) in its second day of trading. The first day, it was flat, surprising some analysts, who expected it to leap -- typical for hot new issues of stock, particularly …
Lawyer Steigerwalt Suspended a Year
The State Bar of California has suspended attorney Kerry Steigerwalt for one year, according to the Union-Tribune. He will also be on probation for two years. As detailed in my Reader columns of July 21, 2010, and June 22, 2011, …
Local Unemployment Drops Sharply
The San Diego County unemployment rate dropped to 8.7% in April from a revised 9.6% in March and 9.7% a year ago. The improvement partly reflected a decline in the labor force (those employed and those looking for work) of …
Group Charges Imperial, SDGE Negotiated in Secret
The 54950 Commission, an Imperial Valley watchdog group, charged today (May 15) that the Imperial Irrigation District, negotiating with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) outside public view, effectively surrendered $14 million of reoccurring revenue and got nothing in return …
Bucking National Trend, SD Gas Prices Jump
Gas prices in San Diego jumped almost 13 cents over the weekend to a new average of $4.35 a gallon, according to Charles Langley of Utility Consumers' Action Network, who had predicted the increase Friday. This morning's (May 14) average …
Gov. Brown Calls for Deep Spending Cuts, Tax Hikes
Gov. Jerry Brown today (May 14) put forward his plans to try to reduce the deficit, which has ballooned to $15.7 billion, up from $9.2 billion in January. The deficit is now a stunning 17% of the state budget. Brown …
Utilities Commission Employees Want Investigation of Simon
Employees of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) have submitted a complaint to the Office of the Governor and the Fair Political Practices Commission, complaining of the "illegal and unethical" behavior of CPUC Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon. The complaint attaches …
Arena Pharmaceuticals Shares Soar on Good Obesity News
Stock of biotech Arena Pharmaceuticals is up 62.59% to $5.95 this morning (May 11) on news that a panel of experts recommended approval of the company's obesity pill. However, there is still concern about the side effects of the pill, …
UT, Orange County Register Will Join Forces, Says Lynch
John Lynch, chief executive of the UT, told the Downtown Lions in a power point presentation yesterday (May 8) that the UT is in final talks to purchase the Orange County Register, Coast Magazine, and 24 local newspapers in Orange …
San Marcos H.S. Rated 11th in Country by Magazine
U.S. News & World Report, working with the American Institute for Research, is out with its list of the top high schools in the U.S. San Marcos High School comes in 11th in the country, and the Preuss School at …
April Employment Growth Feeble
The U.S. added only 115,000 jobs in April. Economists had expected 163,000. The unemployment rate dipped to 8.1% from 8.2% in March, but economists said that reflected people leaving the labor force, which is made up of those employed or …
DMV Staffers Took Bribes and Provided False Licenses, Says U.S. Attorney
The U.S. Attorney's office charged today (May 2) that El Cajon and Rancho San Diego Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees fraudulently provided drivers licenses to applicants who had failed or not taken the required tests. The employees were bribed …
Seau Apparent Suicide Could be Watershed NFL Event
If it turns out that former Chargers great Junior Seau indeed committed suicide, and that he shot himself in the chest so that his brain could be examined for symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), San Diego will be in …
Wealthy "Patriarch of Broadway" Was Snubbed in Attempt to Buy Padres
In early February of 2009, the kinky installment deal by which Jeff Moorad was to buy the Padres was announced. It has since blown up and the team is back in the hands of John Moores, who has retreated to …
Bridgepoint Reports Poor Earnings, Stock Plummets
San Diego's extremely controversial for-profit college operation, Bridgepoint Education, reported disappointing first quarter sales and earnings; twenty minutes from today's (May 1) close, the stock is down 5.2% to $20.44. First quarter earnings per share of 71 cents failed to …
San Diego Tourism Picks Up
The spring break and five weekends in March helped lift tourism in the first quarter, notes La Jolla hotel expert Jerry Morrison. Revenue per available room in March rose 14.9% from February, topping the other California metro markets. San Francisco …