McClatchy News Service investigates national circuit of lie detector experts, including one in San Diego

Washington-based McClatchy News Service is out with an investigative report targeting what it says is a national network of lie detector experts who work part time for a major polygraph manufacturer, creating what the expose characterizes as a potential for …

Partially completed Blue Moon mural on side of downtown bar building complies with city code and is protected by the First Amendment, proprietor maintains

2013 seems to be shaping up as San Diego's year of the great billboard battle, as noted here earlier this week in Dorian Hargrove's report about the intense behind the scenes lobbying at city hall for high tech electronic signage, …

UCSD alumnus and self-styled emperor of the worlds genomes recasts not so miraculous $300 million deal with ExxonMobil for genetically engineering fuel from algae, reports MIT Tech Review

As first reported here in November 2008, La Jolla's Craig Venter, the self-styled human genome king, had grand plans for altering the DNA of algae to produce a variety of so-called biofuels, hopefully to replace the world's rapidly depleting supply …

Escondido's Classical Academy High School charter up for approval of big loan in form of "pass through" conduit bonds

Republican U-T publisher Douglas Manchester's deal to sell the former campus of the North County Times in Escondido for a reported $7 million finally appears to be close at hand, thanks to school bond financing from a little known state …

Legally separated more than three years, GOP real estate developer, hotel magnate, and U-T San Diego owner Doug Manchester files for divorce against estranged wife

He tied the knot back in January 1965, got sued for divorce in June 2009, and was proclaimed legally separated in January 2010. Now UT publisher Doug Manchester, 70, who's been photographed partying with a bevy of young women in …

Controversial developer, backer of county GOP and downtown San Diego lobbying group, must comply by November, state agency says

Giant North County developer Rancho Guejito Corporation has been hit by a Cleanup and Abatement Order issued by the state's Regional Water Quality Control Board, requiring the firm to fix environmental damage caused by unauthorized road grading on the 22,500-acre …

Basketball's Kings franchise, long a popular venue for lobbyists’ wining and dining of California politicos, to get luxurious new home, per drawings released today by Sacramento mayor

As reported earlier today, members of La Jolla's billionaire Jacobs family are said by the Sacramento Bee to be among the new owners and leadership of the Sacramento Kings, the city's NBA basketball franchise. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/17/45764/ Family scion Irwin Jacobs, founder …

Kings reportedly will stay in state capital, courtesy of taxpayer arena subsidy

For years, Irwin Jacobs and his family have done a lot of political business in Sacramento - example number one is their standard bearer, newly-minted Democrat Nathan Fletcher - and now it looks like they are going to own part …

Political land rush for wide-open Sixth District and other seats virtually guarantees huge special interest spending binge in 2014

With the direct-mail big money brawl between two Democrats in San Diego's Fourth District still raging, county Republicans are already ramping up to endorse their standard bearers for next year. As previously reported, the battle between union-backed Myrtle Cole and …

Recent donations to new Filner fund show Democratic mayor already building war chest observers say could counter wealthy GOP hotel magnates

As reported here in February, in the midst of a legal attack by the city's top three hotel moguls to force him to sign a funding contract negotiated by previous GOP mayor Jerry Sanders, Democrat Bob Filner set up a …

County's lawman-in-chief is veteran fundraiser from tribal casinos, prison vendor, hotel mogul, and very old boys network

San Diego county Sheriff and ex-FBI man Bill Gore has filed a statement of intention to run for re-election next year and has set up a newly formed campaign committee to fund the effort. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/mar/08/41423/ As previously reported, Gore has …

Bipartisan cast of local politicos perform for influence peddlers' group on video, minus real Filner and Goldsmith

Rancho Guejito Corp., enmeshed in a web of controversy over efforts to develop a big chunk of the 23,000 acres it owns between Route 78 nearly to Route 76 in North County, drew top billing at last night's San Diego …

Newspaper and real estate magnate's charitable report valued 1.2 million Nextwave shares at $169,487

Mega-millionaire U-T publisher and hotel and real estate mogul Douglas Manchester also controls a relatively small non-profit foundation, which he has used over the years to stash various investments and hand out some six figure gifts of cash to favored …

Top traveled San Diego representative and husband hit the road again, racking up $17,096 in travel tab paid for by corporation-backed think tank

San Diego Democratic congresswoman Susan Davis, who last summer was ranked by a database maintained by Washington-based Legistorm.com as the 17th biggest spending congressional free traveler, including both the House and Senate, has taken off again, this time on a …

Mitch McConnell, Kelly Ayotte among other politicians of Grand Old Party denounced by ex-Republican assemblyman getting Qualcomm cash

Ex-Republican state assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who proclaimed himself an independent during his ill-fated mayoral race last year only to turn Democrat over this past weekend, used the occasion of his conversion to take some shots on his Facebook page at …

Ex-GOP assemblyman who turned "independent" in midst of losing campaign for mayor backed by Qualcomm execs now says he's a Democrat

This past April Fools day, some wag posted an item on the Internet saying that ex-Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who began his run for mayor last year as a Republican and switched mid-campaign to a self-proclaimed "independent," was returning to the …

Political committee sanctioned by ethics commission for Filner mailing violations posts independent expenditures for Cole, against Crenshaw

If the race to occupy San Diego city council's fourth district seat wasn't rich enough already, a campaign committee run by a local teachers union has just thrown more cash into the fray. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/may/03/44926/ As previously reported here, the well-heeled …

Rancho Santa Fe real estate man doing volunteer lease work for mayor gives big debt paying cash to city council Democrat Lightner

Rancho Santa Fe's Jason Hughes made headlines on April 10 when San Diego mayor Bob Filner posted a news release announcing the appointment of the downtown office real estate maven as a volunteer special assistant for city leases. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjoORS_zVWE&list=PLBC2B2E452E0FD051&index=1 (Bailey …

Firm of mayoral political guru Tom Shepard, whose lobbying boutique represents SDG&E, reports final take from January office bash

On the evening of January 23, a variety of high-end vehicles arrived at the downtown offices of Public Policy Strategies, Inc., depositing a virtual who's who of city hall influence peddlers for a fundraiser to benefit new Democratic mayor Bob …

2010 letter of advice to ex-mayor's aide outlines year-long prohibition on ex-staff contacts with current city officials

Back in December 2010, when Kris Michell - then chief of staff to San Diego Republican mayor Jerry Sanders - departed for the greener pastures of a special interest group called the Downtown San Diego Partnership, she was handed an …