March 19, 2020
The Chamber’s Policy & International Business Affairs teams compile a comprehensive legislative update on the latest regulations and government news each Thursday. Those updates will be posted here each week. This page will also be updated on an as-needed basis with critical information as it becomes available.
Our team creates a recap of San Diego County’s weekly business updates for the latest on local COVID regulations and resources for employers. Access the updates.
May 4 – Weekly Update
We are all very proud that San Diego is home to the largest concentration of military assets in the world and the largest federal military workforce in the country. In fact, President Biden visited the Point Loma Naval Base in March to detail plans of a security partnership known as AUKUS. Want to know more about this? Join us on May 25th at 10:00 AM for a conversation with experts on this partnership and the economic impact this alliance between the U.S., U.K., and Australia will have in our region as well as efforts to strengthen our workforce to address the defense cluster’s needs. Speakers include Melissa Pina, International Business Development Director at Northrop Grumman; Wil Dyer, UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering Corporate Affiliate Program Director, and more!
Business Updates:
Congratulations to Randy’s Donuts on their grand opening of their first of ten locations in San Diego!
Have you nominated a Small Business for the Chamber’s Annual Small Business Awards? You should. Self nominations encouraged!
Legislative Updates
Federal:
The CDC’s Color-coded County COVID maps are going to be a thing of the past (say that five times fast!). The agency announced last Friday that it will no longer track the spread of COVID on a community level in the US. COVID hospitalization data will continue to be used to inform the public and policymakers on the disease’s spread, similar to how flu data is currently utilized.
The Biden Administration has recommended over $22 million in funding for ‘Climate Ready Coast’ natural infrastructure projects in Southern California.
This week the FDA approved the first ever RSV vaccine. The vaccine is approved for individuals over the age of 60 and helps protect against the effects of RSV, an acronym for respiratory syncytial virus. Other RSV vaccines are currently in development, including vaccines specifically for pregnant mothers that would help protect newborn children from the virus. The vaccine development effort has taken on special urgency after a surge in RSV cases among children in 2022.
President Biden has expressed his approval of JP Morgan Chase’s takeover of First Republic Bank. The President spoke about the transaction at the White House on Monday, seeking to reassure investors and the public about the stability of the US banking system. He also used the speech as an opportunity to take House Republicans to task for their debt ceiling bill.
The President will need to get his veto pen ready again. The Senate passed legislation that reverses the Administration’s removal of certain tariffs on solar materials imported from Southeast Asia. Many Senators were concerned that the removal of these tariffs would hurt domestic solar manufacturing, while the Administration believes more supplies are needed from international producers in order to meet current demand.
International:
Every year, the California Latino Legislative Caucus shines a spotlight on some of the most accomplished and inspiring figures in fields such as technology, media, literature, health & science, advocacy, business, education and more with the Latino Spirit Award. Notable recipients of the 2023 Latino Spirit Awards include Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and Chamber friend David Perez Tejada Padilla, Director of Binational Affairs for the State of Baja California. Kudos to the award winners!
The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security are preparing for the return to Title 8 enforcement to reduce irregular migration and ensure safe, orderly, and efficient processing of migrants seeking asylum. The Department of Defense has been instructed to send an additional 1,500 officers to help manage an expected increase in the number of migrants traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border upon the end of Title 42. The Chamber will lead a meeting with stakeholders and authorities from both sides of the border next Monday to determine strategies and actions to ensure the integrity of land ports of entry and maintain operations as usual.
Baja Governor Marina del Pilar met with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre to discuss the current state of sewage infrastructure in the border region. They were joined by other state authorities and will continue collaborating to mitigate transboundary pollution impacting the Tijuana River Valley and our binational community.
SDSU hosted its first Transborder Graduation Ceremony at the UABC campus in Tijuana thanks to the close ties between the two institutions. Families and friends of nearly 70 graduates joined them without having to commute across the border. UABC emphasized that the institution will be open to those interested in continuing their professional studies.
State:
The California Air Resources Board (or CARB) is once again instating first in the nation electric vehicle regulations. This time CARB is requiring all medium and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emission by 2045. The rule begins in 2024, starting with municipal trucks at the end of their life-cycles, and expands gradually in its strictness. The regulations are divisive given the lack of current infrastructure for electric truck charging, grid resiliency, the cost of acquiring these vehicles (and limited availability), and impact to cross-border supply chains. Chamber staff will meet with Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S. Esteban Moctezuma and local stakeholders next week to discuss efforts south of the border to address Baja’s trucking industry’s ability to comply with regulations and avoid impact to US-MX trade.
The State could soon require cities and counties to provide enough beds for all unhoused individuals in their jurisdictions. Under SB 7, housing for those experiencing homelessness would have to be included in city and county regional housing needs allocations. Current state law does not explicitly require planning for this kind of shelter or permanent housing. The bill passed in the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
It’s not just Huntington Beach that is finding itself in hot water with the State Attorney General’s office. On Tuesday the City of Elk Grove was sued by the State for blocking the construction of an affordable housing development. The Sacramento suburb says that the development was blocked because of a conflict with zoning regulations, but the State is not accepting that reasoning.
The California Legislature and Governor Newsom are at odds over what to do with revenue collected from the State’s individual mandate. The individual mandate requires all Californians to have health insurance or pay a penalty. The Legislature believes that the Governor promised the penalty revenue would go directly towards lowering Covered California premiums, but the Governor’s office wants to divert some of the money into the State’s general fund instead. This will likely be a key point of contention as the State budget process unfolds in the coming weeks.
Local:
The City of San Diego’s Development Services Department will be mostly closed this Friday, May 5th. Walk-in services will not be available and the department’s phone lines will be off. Online services will remain available during the closure, and full normal services will resume on May 8th.
The City of San Diego’s Short Term Rental Ordinance went into effect on May 1st. STRO (Short-Term Residential Occupancy) licenses are now needed for all short-term rental properties. More information is available on the STRO website and some frequently asked questions about the ordinance can be found here.
State Route 56, one of the main thoroughfares connecting Carmel Valley, Del Mar, and Rancho Penasquitos, will be widened with the addition of two carpool lanes.
MTS received over $60 million in State funding for trolley infrastructure upgrades and electric buses. The funding comes from the California State Transportation Agency, which awards funding for transit infrastructure projects across the state. A sizable portion of the money will go towards electrifying buses serving the Kearny Mesa area and building bus charging stations.
It’s another San Diego Special, folks! The County Board of Supervisors has officially voted to hold a special election for the District 4 Supervisor seat which is anticipated to be vacated on May 15th. The special election will be held on Tuesday, August 15th. If no candidate receives 50% of the votes, a second election will take place in November.
If City, State, and Federal budgets weren’t enough to whet your appetite, do not worry! The County of San Diego released its $8.11 billion proposed budget today. The “Invested in Community” budget is 10% larger than last year’s County budget and includes new and expanded social services programs. Two community meetings for budget feedback will take place, see the section below for registration link.
SANDAG’s Bike Anywhere Day is on May 18th #BikeAnywhereSD. Take the pledge!
Upcoming Public Input Opportunities
- SANDAG has released its Draft Central Mobility Hub and Connections Plan. The draft report looks at various solutions for connecting San Diego International Airport and the surrounding communities to the larger transit network. SANDAG is currently soliciting feedback on the draft report with a survey that is open until June 5th.
- The City of San Diego seeks feedback on Blueprint SD, a proposal that involves taking a look at the City’s General Plan land use strategy and finding ways to encourage sustainable growth alongside more homes and jobs. Industry feedback is highly encouraged. Take the Blueprint SD survey today and be on the lookout for additional opportunities for input through their website.
- Equity Forward will be an inclusive public engagement guide for the City of San Diego. The goal is to create, “more equitable opportunities and investments in San Diego.” You can make your voice heard by filling out the Equity Forward interest form today.
- The City of San Diego’s Stormwater Department is moving forward with the yearly stormwater maintenance priority process, and they need San Diegans’ input on which stormwater infrastructure should receive priority for upcoming maintenance. A public survey is now open and will close May 12.
- The County of San Diego will hold two public meetings about its 2023-2024 budget proposal. The meetings are on May 16th and May 18th. Visit this webpage to register and learn more about the budgetary process.
Upcoming Hearings
- The San Diego City Council is in Budget Review Committee this week, each day between May 3rd-May 9th to review the Mayor’s proposed 2024 budget. The next regular City Council meeting is May 10th.
- The County of San Diego’s Board of Supervisors next regularly scheduled meetings are on May 23rd and 24th.
Capital Opportunities & Resources
- The State Department of Housing and Community Development announced a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Round 3 of Project Homekey. Project Homekey applications will expand housing opportunities, often non-traditional ones, for individuals experiencing homelessness. The applications will be accepted on a rolling basis between 4/28 and 7/28, or until all funding is exhausted.
- The County of San Diego Housing and Community Development Services has an open Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the acquisition, construction, and/or rehabilitation of multi-family affordable housing. Funding includes financing from the County of San Diego Innovative Housing Trust Fund. The NOFA will close 06/05/2023.
- City Council Community Projects, Programs, and Services funds are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies for one-time community, social, environmental, cultural, and recreational needs. Nonprofits can apply for the funding from May 1 to May 30.
- San Diego County’s Small Business Stimulus Grant funds are still available for local small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic. County Districts 1, 2, and 3 are still accepting applications. Learn more here.
- Small business owners may currently receive $2,000 per employee that participates in the paid family leave program. Small business owners can apply here.
- Businesses can reach out to their nearest Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which has developed the Small Business Survival Resources Guide. SBDC can help with applying for COVID-19 relief, guiding you through available resources, and assisting with cash flow concerns, supply-chain interruptions, workforce capacity, insurance coverage, and more–all at no cost!
Future Chamber Meetings (Virtual) & Committee Actions:
Public Policy Committee:
Our next meeting will be on May 9 at 8:00am via zoom.
Health Committee:
Our next meeting will be on May 10 at 8:00am via zoom.
Transportation & Land Development Committee:
Our next meeting will be on May 16 at 8:00am via zoom.
Cannabis Working Group Forum:
Our next meeting will be on May 17 at 9:00am.
Sustainability & Industry Committee:
Our next meeting will be on June 1, 8:00am via zoom.
Education & Workforce Roundtable:
Our next meeting will be on June 21 at 8:00am via zoom.
April 20 – Weekly Update
Mission Complete… we have returned from our annual delegation trip to Washington D.C. with 170 San DIegans and it was a success! While we were there only for a few days, those days were packed. We met with federal lawmakers to advocate for San Diego from infrastructure to border trade, and everything in between. And when night hit, the fun didn’t end, meaning a late-night Capitol tour thanks to Representative Juan Vargas! Thanks to everyone who helped make it another memorable experience, with a special shout out to Representative Scott Peters and his team for their ongoing support of the trip (and immense amount of time they allow us to borrow from them while we’re there).
Oh, and happy 4/20 to all who celebrate. Especially to our cannabis members! Last week, Leafly.com named San Diego the #8 ‘stoner-city’ in the nation.
April 13 – Weekly Update
We’re all systems go for our 15th annual delegation trip to Washington, DC. In years past, we’ve had government shutdowns, impeachment announcements, and of course a nice beverage or two. Hopefully you’ve figured out how to style your hair with some additional humidity. We promise not to say anything if you haven’t.
Countdown to Chamber Mission to Washington, D.C. is on… 3…2…..
March 30 – Weekly Update
Yay sports! Do the thing! Win the Points! And Happy Opening Day!
This Saturday the San Diego State University men’s basketball team plays in their first ever Final Four! A huge congrats to Chamber member SDSU and Go Aztecs! The Wave also set some records for being bada$$ women, with over 30,000 fans (most of you were there, we know) in the stands for their home opener.
We’ll see you at Petco.
March 23 – Weekly Update
Spring has SPRUNG! And it’s time to Get Fit! The Chamber’s 30-day challenge, powered by Kaiser Permanente, started on Monday and runs through April 18th. Sign up here by March 26th to join the challenge. There are prizes for the individuals and teams in each division who earn the most points, so get moving!
We know, it’s hard to believe with this weather. But we swear, somewhere in there is springtime and lurking behind is summer sunshine.
March 16 – Weekly Update
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! May the luck o’the Irish be with us all.
March 9 – Weekly Update
Oh, California. Where there’s a nostalgia-inducing celebrity perpetually offering their services to run for office. The latest? Corey Matthews. Ben Savage, who is bringing “reasonable, innovative and compassionate solutions” to the race to replace Adam Schiff. While that all sounds perfectly lovely, we’d prefer he bring Topanga and make this a real party.
2023 is gonna be a long year.
March 2 – Weekly Update
March is coming in like a wrecking ball. So you should probably register for our Mission to Washington, D.C. before early bird registration ends tomorrow.
February 23 – Weekly Update
We know that running a business can be tough. Dealing with customers and employees and cybersecurity and insurance, among other things, is a lot to handle day to day, and you only have so much time to also be the HR expert that you’re supposed to be.
That’s why we’re really excited to invite you to a FREE HR symposium on March 10th, with a renowned national employment firm that is flying in just to tell you all about how to make the right decisions at your workplace, stay in compliance, and more importantly, stay out of trouble. Don’t forget to register and tell a friend (or your HR team, whatever works).
February 16 – Weekly Update
Hope you weren’t abducted by aliens from any of the four UFOs shot down by the U.S. over the past few weeks. This 2023 BINGO card is getting real weird.
February 9 – Weekly Update
The hottest ticket in town (no joke, it’s sold out!) is tonight’s annual celebration for the Chamber. We are so excited to see 800 of our best friends and celebrate the two awardees tonight, Kim Becker and Peter Seidler.
Pro tip: move tomorrow morning’s meeting a little bit later.
February 2 – Weekly Update
It’s Groundhog Day and Punxatawny Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter… we just hope that we don’t end up stuck sending out this February 2nd policy update again and again.
January 26 – Weekly Update
Hold on to your hat. Literally. Your hat is blowing away. Oh, and now the trees are falling down. This is fine. It was only last week there was torrential rain, so this is fine. Totally normal, really. What’s that you say? Fire season soon? Ah, great. Yes, this is fine.
Why don’t you take all that nervous energy and join us in DC for our annual trip. Where, as far as we know, trees are not falling down but also there is chaos.
January 19 – Weekly Update
We are celebrating the return to sunshine, and almost Lunar New Year! This year, Lunar New Year begins on January 22 and you can learn about how San Diego is celebrating here.
Friendly reminder that our annual dinner, the big, huge, network-extravaganza one, is on February 9th and you definitely want to be there.
January 12 – Weekly Update
ICYMI: For years (and years and years) we’ve been waiting for real solutions to the Tijuana River Valley pollution problems. When $300M was allocated to help chip away at those issues, it was a moment of celebration. But then? The money got stuck in policy mumbo-jumbo and couldn’t get unstuck. Until… a holiday miracle! The San Diego congressional delegation successfully got a provision included in the broader spending bill to authorize the transfer of those funds from the EPA to the International Boundary and Water Commission.
A little good news for ya.
January 5 – Weekly Update
This newsletter serves to remind you that it is, indeed, Thursday. We think?
Happy new year. We missed you. Our new years resolution is to not lose the umbrellas we bought this morning.
December 22 – Weekly Update
We have SIGNIFICANT doubts that this last of the year newsletter will be read. But alas, like the Elves on the Internet Shelf, the Snoops on the Website Stoop, holiday cheermongers that we are…. We couldn’t help but gift you with one last love letter to the news.
…What would the Chamber version of that rhyme be? Jerry on a cranberry? Commerce on a converse? We tried.
December 15 – Weekly Update
We’re freezing. San Diego became a winter wonderland of sorts with the rain, hail, and even snow this week! Four schools throughout the county were even closed for a Snow Day on Monday!
Looking for the perfect gift for that special person? We’ve got you covered…. Just reach out to our Membership Team, let them know you’d like to gift someone a Chamber membership so they can share the joy of this newsletter with you! (Hey, we tried).
December 8 – Weekly Update
Are you limping or skipping to the finish line of 2022? Are you the company grinch or are you Buddy the Elf-ing it at holiday gatherings? Snazzy holiday coffee drink or hardcore coffee black in a paper cup (cough, Jerry, cough)?
We got you a gift: another ship got stuck (!) but in Chesapeake Bay. Why, you ask? The guy was distracted and on his phone!
Ships getting stuck not your favorite? Okay, here’s a different gift: the 2022 words of the year!
See: “gaslighting”
December 1 – Weekly Update
We’ll keep this short and sweet because we’re sure you’re all still catching up from last week!
We hope to see you at this year’s International Tribute Awards next week! Join us to recognize regional leaders and their contribution to expanding binational ties as we celebrate 200 years of the U.S.-Mexico diplomatic relationship.
Sorry to break it to you all, but 2023 is just around the corner. To kick start the year we will host another Chamber Summit on Monday, January 23 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. We welcome business groups, chambers, and business improvement districts from across the region to share best practices and learn about pressing policy priorities in our region. You won’t want to miss it! Click here to register.
November 17 – Weekly Update
Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, it’s a week early but since you Chamber members are very nice and don’t expect us to actually work on the day-of, we won’t be sending you an email next week. Congratulations to everyone for making it through election season, we’ll see you in December (yikes!)
November 10 – Weekly Update
The Chamber’s 10th Annual Legislative Lounge is tonight! Which is great because this week was a whirlwind. There’s going to be so much to talk about like… There was actual rain. Lots of it. Elon is doing Twitter-y things again, and check marks are back? Or gone?
Yep, that’s about it. That’s all that happened this week, right?
Kidding. Let’s talk all about it at Legislative Lounge. See you there.
November 3 – Weekly Update
Our signature Legislative Lounge event is just ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Join some of our favorite elected officials and staffers for a night of post-election fun, celebrating individuals doing the tough work in our region! RSVP here.
And seriously, polls close Tuesday night at 8pm. Need some guidance? Check out our endorsements. If you’re looking for the briefest of brief summaries about what to expect from Tuesday, here it is: WHO KNOWS. (You are very welcome).
October 27 – Weekly Update
After a three-year hiatus, the Chamber was finally able to host our 15th annual Binational Delegation to Mexico City! NBD, but Lenny Kravitz was there. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the trip!
…and, there’s less than 2 weeks until Election Day. Check out the Chamber Voter Guide.
October 20 – Weekly Update
And just like that…San Diego is a Sports City. Congratulations to the San Diego Wave FC who clinched the first-ever club win in the playoffs and are semi-final bound. And we’ll be cheering the San Diego Padres on as they head into NLCS game 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow!
October 13 – Weekly Update
San Diegans have lots to celebrate today: The San Diego Padres beat rival team Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 last night and today is the US Navy’s 247th birthday!
October 6 – Weekly Update
Not to alarm you or anything but… Your ballot will be in your mailbox next week! Get informed with the Chamber Voter Guide!
CLINCHED! Our San Diego Padres clinched the National League Wild Card Berth, the seventh in franchise history. Thanks for losing, Milwaukee.
September 29 – Weekly Update
It’s so hot that it’s hard to imagine that the holidays are close, but they are. And you know what comes with the holiday season? SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, baby! We wanted to make sure your business is prepared (and yes, there’s more than just social media to this), so we put together a gang busters program for you on October 4th. Find out more here.
September 22 – Weekly Update
You’ve probably been busy watching the Big Things like the market reactions this week to the Fed rate, Russian mobilization, or protests in Iran. Which is why we’re so glad that you took time to read this newsletter to find out about Unexpected Things. Like Matthew McConaughey considering a Presidential run. (Newsom’s not the only contender with good hair!) Or, the latest example of the continued positive impact of TikTok on society: the FDA had to issue a request for humans to not cook chicken in Nyquil. (Which one Twitter user dubbed “robitusserie”, you’re welcome).
September 8 – Weekly Update
We’re melting.
September 1 – Weekly Update
Just what we all needed in this triple-digit heatwave: hot, pumpkin-flavored stuff! While we joke (we swear, we love our Starbucks members and PSL season!) we are very serious about our absolute shock that we are now entering September.
Yes. It is too early for Halloween directions, put that pumpkin down.
August 25 – Weekly Update
It goes without saying that droughts are bad, and we’re really proud of you for doing your part to conserve water. Whether you’ve banned your teenager from 30 minute showers, or let your garden go brown, or have completely stopped doing the dishes at all (bravo!), every little bit matters.
However, drought has also brought us some rather unexpected discoveries… including an unexploded bomb (yikes), and a warning about pending death (yay?) Check out the full list here.
August 18 – Weekly Update
Back to school is upon us (anyone else thinking of that Staples commercial about the most wonderful time of the year?) We’re sending you and your little, or even your kind of big, ones good wishes for an uneventful school year.
August 11 – Weekly Update
Hot off the press! The CDC has released updated COVID-19 guidance in light of the wider availability of tools to reduce COVID-19 severity. The update includes:
- If exposed to COVID: Regardless of vaccination status, instead of quarantining, recommending wearing a high-quality mask for 10 days and getting tested on day 5 instead.
- If you have COVID: Regardless of vaccination status, recommending isolating from others, staying home for at least 5 days and ending isolation after day 5 if your symptoms improve. Avoiding being around high-risk individuals and wearing a high-quality mask through day 10.
- Moderate or severe COVID: Isolate through day 10.
- No longer recommending physical distancing, no longer recommending routine testing of asymptomatic people in most community settings, and promoting the importance of staying up to date with vaccinations.
TBD on whether California and San Diego County will take the same, or a different approach.
August 4 – Weekly Update
That’s it. That’s the tweet.
July 28 – Weekly Update
Today, this intro paragraph will have limited fans, but we don’t care because this is too important: Victoria Beckham has finally given in (maybe Manchin inspired her?) and has agreed to a Spice Girls Documentary!
It’s also National Intern Day. And while you probably know the Chamber team (and think they are very, very fabulous), you might not know that Katrina Boyd and Manuel Reyes are on deck making sure this Thursday afternoon newsletter is ready for you, so send ‘em some love. And a job in the Spring of 2023.
July 21 – Weekly Update
They’re BAAAAAAaaaaack! Pop culture, costumes, and TOT $$$ is living large in San Diego this weekend with the long awaited return of Comic-Con. We’ve missed you and your grade-A people watching.
Sending well wishes to President Biden, who tested positive for COVID today. Speaking of, maybe work a mask into that Comic-Con outfit you’re planning.
July 14 – Weekly Update
We had some options for this top spot. Including the fate of Twitter (just give us the edit button and let’s all move on with our lives, please), lots of resignations abroad, really insane space photos that got published this week, but…. We had to go with this season of Married at First Sight being filmed in San Diego. Because, duh.
July 7 – Weekly Update
Are you a fan of amazing speakers, great food, or good vibes? Consider joining us for our Congressional luncheon! On Monday, August 1st, the Chamber will be hosting our congressional delegation at the Omni San Diego Hotel, where you’ll be able to listen in on what policy makers are working on and connect with other community leaders in San Diego
June 30 – Weekly Update
Apply now! Applications for the Chamber’s Small Business Awards close by the end of the day today – which includes the Outstanding Emerging Business award (a small business that has operated for < 5 years). So go ahead and nominate a friend (or yourself) and join us on July 13th at Harbor View Loft.
June 23 – Weekly Update
Are you awesome? Do you also run/work for/volunteer with a small business? If you do, you should nominate yourself (or a friend!) for our upcoming Small Business Awards.
Everyone likes awards… in fact, we’ve verbally abused entire younger generations for their embrace of awards. Not that we’re upset about that or anything.
Sincerely,
An entirely Gen-Z, Gen-Y, and Millennial Policy Team
June 16 – Weekly Update
Remember a few years ago when the news would just be like “Cute Dog Finds Other Dog in Car and Shows Off Stuffed Animal”? And today, the headlines are: “Rockslide Nearly Kills People Barely Surviving Heatwave” or “Democracy Hanging by Thin Thread”.
With that in mind, we’d like to humbly submit to you some good (or at least a little funny) news:
-Beyonce Announces New Album
-Cute Dogs Sniff for COVID in Schools, Students Love It
-Another Ship Got Stuck
TGI(almost)F.
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 9 – Weekly Update
We were going to write about election day results (there are still 250,000 projected votes that have to be counted), but THEN, we saw the news that two people are stuck in a tank of chocolate, and we can’t just let that one go without spreading the word. The two people are not hurt (that’s good), and are hanging out in “waist-high” chocolate.
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 2 – Weekly Update
Consider this your official notice that May Gray has left the building, and we are skipping merrily into June Gloom.
And while we’re skipping, we’re bringing our masks and hand sanitizer, because unfortunately cases are back up. We want you to be safe, and we want to see you in-person really soon. So please make sure you’re keeping an eye on the numbers and taking care of yourself.
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 26 – Weekly Update
For this Memorial Day weekend, we borrowed this handy list of services you may want to attend from the UT. Remember to get some fresh air this weekend too, and we’ll catch ya next week.
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 19 – Weekly Update
Have you checked your mailbox lately? Because it’s election season, baby! Don’t fret though, we’ve got a voter guide for you here.
Not listed, but worth a vote is our friend the wayward sea lion that in January made his newsworthy debut on the 94, broke out again and was discovered in Logan Heights. His name is Freeway, and while we worry about his safety, we fully endorse him for his shenanigans. (And big thanks to our friends at Sea World for rescuing him again and again).
Click here to read this week’s full update.
May 5 – Weekly Update
And we thought last week was a busy news cycle… Anyway!
We are less than two weeks away from our Leadership Delegation to Sacramento! We’re excited to have representatives from the CAL EPA, Department of Cannabis Control, GO-Biz and CalSTA confirmed.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
April 28 – Weekly Update
This week’s news is how the news will be news and what will be news if Twitter is bought by Elon Musk. There are other things, but mostly that. Oh. And Johnny Depp has his day(s) in court, where Elon Musk also came up. Weird times.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 21 – Weekly Update
If you have stopped reading the news these days, we’ve gotta say we don’t blame you. However, you also don’t really have to read the news thanks to this handy newsletter (you’re welcome?). And since you have free time because you don’t read the news and have decided a hiatus from Twitter is probably in the best interest of your mental health, you’ve got time to join us at tonight’s Circle of Influence reception hosted by the La Jolla Playhouse at your favorite, Stone Brewing.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 14 – Weekly Update
Happy Opening Day (finally!). Gates are already open down at Petco Park for today’s sold out home opener versus the defending World Series Champion Atlanta Braves. Rubios and the Padres are teaming up to give fans a free taco each time the Padres steal a base, the day after the game. San Diego is healing.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 7 – Weekly Update
We’re back in your inbox with the latest round of legislative updates.
After a productive week in DC, we’re already looking forward to our 2022 Leadership Delegation to Sacramento. We’re focusing on housing issues, workforce development, border infrastructure and cannabis. Want to talk about something else, or do you have some San Diego-specific bragging you want to do? Tell the team!
Click here for this week’s full update.
March 24 – Weekly Update
The countdown to Mission to Washington DC begins! We can’t wait to see all of your beautiful faces at the airport at 6 am on Sunday. Make sure you have your SD Chamber Trip app downloaded, meetings selected, and your most comfortable shoes and definitely a warm jacket packed.
We will skip our weekly legislative update next week and will be back in your inbox on April 7. Try not to miss us too much.
Click here for this week’s full update.
March 17 – Weekly Update
We are one week away from our Mission to Washington DC trip! We’re excited to see you all at our pre-trip orientation next Wednesday, where we’ll cover the agenda, meeting objectives and housekeeping items for the trip. If this is your first trip- our best advice is to wear comfortable shoes. If you’ve been before, you know to prepare for some of the best networking all year, and it begins in the airport. Social skills, go!
Click here for this week’s full update.
March 10 – Weekly Update
Congratulations to all you baseball fans, today a tentative deal was announced between the players and the MLB. Go Padres!
We had our IBA Forum today where guest speakers from Arizona-Sonora, Sha’ar HaNegev, Israel, and the Port of Algeciras in Spain provided an overview on their significant efforts to facilitate trade, improve border infrastructure, and binational diplomacy of their respective border region. We will be posting it on our website soon in case you missed it.
Click here for this week’s full update.
March 3 – Weekly Update
Peters and Levin and Vargas and Jacobs and Issa, oh my! That’s right folks- we’re getting the band back together in Washington, DC for a congressional lunch REMIX. We’ve got some other surprises up our sleeves too for our (triumphant?) return to an in-person Mission to Washington DC on March 27th-30th.
Click here for this week’s full update.
February 24 – Weekly Update
We’re looking good for 151! (It’s the eye cream) Join us next Thursday for our 151st Anniversary Celebration at the Hilton Bayfront to discuss other beauty tips and see your friends. This annual event brings together our region’s business executives, community leaders and elected officials who share the same interest: making the San Diego region the best place to live and work. Register here.
Click here for this week’s full update.
February 17 – Weekly Update
We’re looking good for 151! (It’s the eye cream) Join us next Thursday for our 151st Anniversary Celebration at the Hilton Bayfront to discuss other beauty tips and see your friends. This annual event brings together our region’s business executives, community leaders and elected officials who share the same interest: making the San Diego region the best place to live and work. Register here.
Click here for this week’s full update.
February 10 – Weekly Update
We have heard there is a major sporting event taking place this weekend. We will be participating primarily for the good snack foods. However, if you’re a big sporting fan there’s also plenty to watch on the international stage at the Olympics. Check out this list of San Diego-affiliated athletes competing here!
Looking for PPE? Our team’s got your back. So much so that on the hottest day of the year so far (today) we got 50,000 more N95’s, sanitizer and surgical masks to keep you safe. Pickups are Fridays at our offices.
Click here for this week’s full update.
February 3 – Weekly Update
February is Black History Month, which honors the contributions of African Americans to the US. This year’s theme is Black Health and Wellness. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) designates a focus for the month.
Black History Month originated in 1926 by Carter G Woodson, who created a weeklong celebration to formally teach Black history in public schools and develop Black history as an official field of study. By the late 1960’s, the tradition grew and Kent State University became the first institution to officially celebrate Black History Month before its national holiday designation in 1976. The month of February was chosen to recognize the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and their roles in emancipation and the abolitionist movement.
The San Diego History Museum is honoring Black History Month through an ongoing collaborative exhibition, available here.
Click here for this week’s full update.
January 27 – Weekly Update
Feeling like you’re underachieving? Remember that Jeff Bezos is worth two billion dollars and has yet to don a homemade costume and take to the streets fighting crime, so give yourself a pass today.
This year, Lunar New Year begins February 1, 2022 and it’s the Year of the Tiger. The Tiger is associated with bravery, confidence and strength (1974, 1986 and 1998 babies, this is your year). Where does the animal naming tradition come from? Some stories say that the Jade Emperor held a race of animals to create the order of the zodiac. They finished in the order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, horse, sheep, monkey, dog and pig.
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January 20 – Weekly Update
So, what’s the _ _ _ _ _ of wordle? Maybe there is none. Or maybe it’s a great five minute distraction from the craziness going on in the world. We all need a little win these days.
And for our loyal newsletter readers, we are now introducing a weekly trivia question. The first person to respond with the correct answer (via email) will be the lucky winner of a gift card to our Chamber member, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and the pride of winning when maybe your wordle effort didn’t go well today.
Click here for this week’s full update.
January 13 – Weekly Update
The U.S. Supreme Court has made a decision (a 6-3 vote) on the President’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 employees or more: Nope.
In striking down the directive from OSHA, the right-leaning Justices based their decision on who has the authority to require a mandate and stated that “states and congress do”, but not OSHA. The dissenting calls the ruling “not wise.” Meanwhile, everyone has Omicron.
If you are now scratching your head about who is allowed to require vaccines and wondering if maybe you’ve fallen into a time loop where the same questions are asked and never answered, we’re here to help. Employers are still allowed to require their employees be vaccinated. You are still allowed (encouraged!) to encourage vaccines if a mandate feels like a lot of paperwork. Vaccines remain the best path out of the pandemic, even though this 400th month of 2020 is taxing us all.
Click here for this week’s full update.
January 6 – Weekly Update
We know, it’s cold. We are also very cold, and we also don’t know where to get a rapid test but the County suggests you look here. Andy Cohen, also cold and “over-served” on NYE, summed up what we were all feeling by the end of the year… and added some very enthusiastic feelings about local governance.
Diets don’t work for everyone – so let’s skip the restriction and focus on making fitness fun (yes, fun). Join us for our annual #GetFit challenge, a fun and friendly fitness competition designed to help you become more active and healthy for 30 days to get your year started off right. We start next week, so register here.
(Oh yeah, and happy new year!)
December 23 – Weekly Update
Oh. My. Cron. It’s our final newsletter of the year and while we definitely made it, technically, the news of the sweeping Omicron variant has us wishing we were going out on a more celebratory note. But even with Omicron making up the majority of all infections, we’re hopeful that San Diego’s high vaccination rate (high five!) will spare our healthcare workers and their families another round of brutality. Maybe we skip the mistletoe this year, guys.
It’s been quite a year. We salute all of you businesses that weathered the storm(s) and continue to reinvent in the face of uncertainty. And still, after a tumultuous year, we find ourselves asking, what exactly is bitcoin?
Click here for this week’s full update.
December 16 – Weekly Update
In case you haven’t heard, San Diego has a new professional women’s soccer team. This week, Wave FC announced they signed Alex Morgan (Olympic gold medalist, 2x World Cup champion, you know the one). She’ll join former USWNT head coach Jill Ellis and teammate Abby Dahlkemper right here in our backyard for the spring 2022 season. If you can’t tell – the Chamber staff soccer fans are very happy.
Click here for this week’s full update.
December 9 – Weekly Update
As if 2021 hasn’t already thrown enough at us, NASA announced that a “potentially hazardous” asteroid will break into Earth’s orbit this weekend. Please, let us listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas album and get to the new year in peace.
Click here for this week’s full update.
December 2 – Weekly Update
We hope you had a calm Black Friday, an expensive Small Business Saturday, an internet-riffic Cyber Monday, a generous Giving Tuesday and find yourself here, on Reading Thursday. (We had to try, we are sorry).
But seriously, we are now beginning our descent into holiday times in 2021. We thank you for choosing the San Diego Regional Chamber for your sometimes-funny news updates, as we know you probably have other, albeit less entertaining, choices.
And if you just can’t wait to see your Chamber friends in person, don’t miss the Tribute Awards on Tuesday, December 7th. It’s our annual event to recognize and celebrate our incredible cross-border region and it’s going to be great.
Click here for this week’s full update.
November 24 – Weekly Update
This newsletter is a short one, like we hope this week is for you. This year, we’re grateful for booster shots, in-person happy hour, people who aggressively over-decorate early for the holidays, and oh yea, you! These weekly notes to you wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without your ideas, input, and responses that keep our community intact.
We hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday, and that you manage to avoid all talk of politics around the dinner table. Cheers!
Click here for this week’s full update.
November 18 – Weekly Update
Thank you to those that were able to join us at this year’s Legislative Lounge and congratulations to our award winners! In case you missed it, we recognized: Jay Goldstone – Victory Lap, David Pasquini – Bridge Builder, Liz Maland and Andrew Potter – We Don’t Deserve You, Juan Carlos Leyva – Rising Star, and Mabi Castro – Staffer Who Gets S#!t Done. We think it was very appropriate that one of our first in-person events was to recognize the people who do so much behind the scenes every day.
Click here for this week’s full update.
November 10 – Weekly Update
We’re coming at you a day early in recognition of Veteran’s Day. There’s no shortage of ways to honor our veterans here locally, but if you need some inspiration, here’s a list.
Happy 246th Birthday, Marine Corps. On this day in 1970, Commandant Chapman called on Marines to celebrate the anniversary “not as an end of almost two centuries of dedicated service, but as preparation for new service, new dedication and new achievement.” Read the full birthday message from Commandant Berger here.
Join us on November 18 for our upcoming IBA Forum on the role of cultural awareness and protocol play when navigating the international business landscape. Speakers will share best practices on business etiquette across cultures focusing on some of San Diego’s top trade partners: Mexico, Canada, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom.
November 4 – Weekly Update
Seems like our Legislative Lounge couldn’t have better timing. Our annual event to recognize the staff and elected officials who work hard to make San Diego the best place to live, work and play, comes at the end of yet another… how shall we say this… challenging year. Let’s all take it easy on the folks working in government, and remember: if you can’t say anything nice, maybe you just go for a walk or something. We hope you’ll join us!
Happy Diwali to those celebrating. Diwali celebrates light over darkness, good over evil, and is celebrated globally by over 1 billion people. On Wednesday, members of the House of Representatives discussed plans to introduce the Deepavali Day Act, making Diwali a federal holiday.
October 28 – Weekly Update
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton: Facebook, who has had a hell of a few weeks in the news cycle and on the minds of cranky legislators, unveiled a name change earlier today. It has been rebranded as ‘Meta’, which we would humbly suggest does nothing for their PR issues, unless their strategy is to further confuse the contingent of policy makers who still don’t quite get this whole dang social media thing and just how it’s supposed to work.
Huge shout out to our friends at LEAD for the extraordinary comeback of the Visionary Awards event in person. Thanks to the sponsors, the attendees, and all y’all for coming out to highlight some of San Diego’s very best including Jim Schmid, Rip Rippetoe & the Convention Center team, Nancy Jamison, Starla Lewis, San Diego Loyal, and StandUp for Kids.
Click here for this week’s full update.
October 21 – Weekly Update
‘Bout time! We’d like to congratulate Wonder Woman for her induction into the Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame. After 80 years of kickin’ bad-guy butt, she joins other beloved characters Batman and Pac-man. And now that we’re thinking about it, we need to know more about how Pac-man managed his way in there.
Registration for this year’s Legislative Lounge is now open! Save the date for November 16, where we will recognize award winners in categories such as “Bridge Builder”, “Rising Star’ and “Staffer Who Really Gets $#!t Done.”
Click here for this week’s full update.
October 14 – Weekly Update
October is Filipino-American History Month! The month is chosen to commemorate the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the continental US, when sailors on a Spanish ship landed in Morro Bay in 1587. The more you know. Be sure to check out the San Diego Public Library’s series of events this month, and the Filipino-American History Celebration this Saturday.
In other news, raise a glass for Queen Elizabeth, who has been advised by her doctors that she give up her daily adult beverage for health reasons. And, to answer your question: it’s dry martinis. Like we always say, the more you know.
Click here for this month’s full update.
October 7 – Weekly Update
Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp all went down this week, and we all pretended we didn’t absentmindedly click those icons dozens of times waiting for the refresh. Related: Zuckerberg is having a really bad week.
We hope you enjoyed the lightning show a few nights ago, and now that you’ve found your umbrella (or made your annual umbrella purchase like some of us), don’t put it away because we have rain coming again tomorrow!
The LEAD Visionary Awards are on Wednesday, October 27th. We aren’t biased or anything, and we definitely don’t share office walls with our LEAD friends, but we’re confident this is going to be a great event that you don’t want to miss.
Click here for this week’s full update.
September 30 – Weekly Update
This week had a little something for everyone. In the BIG stuff we had things like possible government shutdown (9 week save), trillions of dollars on the table as fights play out in Congress and the Senate (TBD), the deadline for some hospital workers to be vaccinated (today), and changes to state level eviction protections (today/tomorrow). In what we’ll just call “other” news, we learned about something called meathead nation and their strong feelings about a County Supervisor/vaccines. Britney is free(er)! And the McRib returns for its 40th stint on November 1st. Go forth and prosper.
Click here for this week’s full update.
September 23 – Weekly Update
Happy second day of fall! Check out this list of San Diego things to do this fall, and let’s all pretend it’s not still 80 degrees out. As we heard last night at ToddTalks (shout out to our friends at Downtown Partnership for a great event. Two thumbs way up) “It’s fine. We’re fine.”
Click here for this week’s full update.
September 9 – Weekly Update
President Biden rolled out vaccine mandates that are almost certainly going to be challenged in court. Big toplines: mandatory vaccines for large employers of 100 or more, doubling of fines for folks who are non-compliant on planes, and requirements that healthcare workers be vaccinated. As of this writing, the President has just signed two executive orders requiring federal workers and contractors be vaccinated. So by the time you read this, probably more will have happened so you should probably google that.
On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress named their new country the “United States”, replacing the “United Colonies”. The more you know ✨
Click here for this week’s full update.
September 2 – Weekly Update
And that’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who joined us this week at our Mexico City Virtual Summit. Together, we advocated to advance our region’s priorities including the Otay Mesa East Land Port of Entry, mitigate transboundary pollution impacting the Tijuana River, and facilitate trade & economic opportunities with key federal officials and business industry leaders.
Click here for this week’s full update.
August 26 – Weekly Update
We have less than one week until our annual Mexico City Summit! Participants will have the opportunity to meet with key federal officials and diverse business industry leaders to discuss border infrastructure, transboundary pollution and trade and economic opportunities. You won’t want to miss the special in-person reception afterwards, outdoors, at Coasterra (Happy hour with an ocean view? We’re there.)
Click here for this week’s full update.
August 19 – Weekly Update
In this week’s edition of “we read the news so you don’t have to,” we would like to tell you that it was a pretty bleak news cycle. But as we approach the week’s end, we want you to know that we appreciate you taking time to read our newsletters, to support the business community, and to help San Diego continue to recover. As author Robert Fulghum said, “You may never have proof of your importance but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you. The rub is that you don’t always know who.”
Onward and upward.
Our upcoming Mexico City Summit will take place August 31 through September 1st. This year’s summit provides an opportunity for participants to meet with key federal officials and diverse business industry leaders to discuss regional priorities such as border infrastructure, transboundary pollution impacting the Tijuana River Valley, and cross-border commerce.
Click here for this week’s full update.
August 12 – Weekly Update
Because it’s so fantastically late, you may have forgotten that today was the release of the 2020 Census Data that will set into motion the redistricting of congressional seats. Remember, in April it was announced that California was losing a seat, and nobody (not even you, Twitteriffic readers) know who will lose this round of musical chairs. Buckle up!
On an entirely different note, we’ve got another round of FREE N95 mask giveaways happening now. Remember, Cal/OSHA guidance still stands that as an employer you must provide N95 masks to any unvaccinated staff who request them…. So, save yourself the hassle of trying to procure them on your own and get them here.
And a big shout out to our newsletter sponsor, PCM!
Click here for this week’s full update.
August 5 – Weekly Update
Lions, tigers, monkeys and 250 other animals are now getting their vaccinations at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Which means that you probably should too.
While you cheer on Team USA at the Olympics, some fun facts about San Diego showin up and showin out in Tokyo: A San Diego company, Behind the Scenes, is catering the Olympics; cycling bronze medalist Jennifer Valente is a San Diegan; sport climbing (it’s new, don’t worry about it) premiered with UCSD grad Brooke Rabotou competing; Keegan Palmer, who won a gold medal for skateboarding, reps Australia but he was born in San Diego; and San Diego’s Xander Schauffele won a gold medal in golf. (Sorry if we missed any- turns out we’ve got a LOT to brag about).
Click here for this week’s full update.
July 29 – Weekly Update
It’s like the Convention Center knew we all needed a little extra sunshine this week. The much awaited return to conventions is upon us, and it’s bringing…. DOGS! The American Kennel Club will be bringing its Meet the Breeds event to San Diego where you can, seriously, just meet all kinds of dogs and it’s just the sort of feel good event that makes strapping your mask back on not so bad.
Requirements for vaccines in the public sector made waves this week. Some private businesses are following suit, saying that proof of vaccination is required to enter their establishments… are you implementing vaccine requirements? Tell us how it’s going!
Click here for this week’s full update.
July 22 – Weekly Update
Hope you’ve been working on your social skills…. We’re excited to see you at this evening’s Summer Splash + Small Business Awards Mixer! Winners for the following categories will be announced: Outstanding Minority, Woman, Veteran, DBE-Owned Business, Customers First, Community Minded and Best Success Story.
Click here for this week’s full update.
July 15 – Weekly Update
This week in pop culture meets policy: Yesterday, pop star Olivia Rodrigo met with President Biden to urge young people to get vaccinated. And she’s got good timing, given the rise in cases due to the Delta variant, which has motivated more counties to return to mask mandates.
We will also be making a trip to DC, although no promises on meeting with President Biden. Make sure to register here for the opportunity to participate in high level meetings with US administration officials and agencies, advocate for local issues, and network with elected officials and San Diego business community leaders.
Click here for this week’s full update.
July 8 – Weekly Update
In political news, the date for the recall election has been set: September 14th. And the field, already spicy, is now just getting crowded. This week, we saw Assemblymember Kevin Kiley and Steve Lodge jump in. (Who is Steve Lodge? SO glad you asked. He’s the ex-husband of RHOC Star Vicki Gunvalson).
Get ready, registration is live for our annual Mission to Washington DC! As part of the delegation, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in high level meetings with US administration officials and agencies, advocate for local issues, and network with elected officials and San Diego business community leaders. And by popular demand, we are back at the JW Marriot this year.
Click here for this week’s full update.
July 1 – Weekly Update
This year’s America’s Best Cities list came out with the top cities to live, work and invest. San Diego was ranked 6th overall for our beautiful beaches and parks, world famous zoo and tourist attractions. We’re only a little bitter Los Angeles came in second, but there’s always next year.
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 24 – Weekly Update
Save the date for July 22! Our Summer Splash and Small Business Awards will be held at SeaWorld (in person!) It’s not too late to submit award applications and nominations, the deadline has been extended to June 30.
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 17 – Weekly Update
Cal/OSHA has just voted to adopt revisions to the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) which guide how employers manage worksites with regard to their workers’ safety. In short, for anyone who is wondering who decides what employees are masked, and when and how and what happens on Tuesdays if it’s raining, that would be Cal/OSHA. Usually, these revisions take ten days to go into effect, but Governor Newsom has signed an executive order putting it in place immediately.
Here’s the short version*: the ETS now says that vaccinated employees do not need to wear a mask in the workplace. Unvaccinated employees, however, do. How do you know who is vaccinated? Employers need to verify, and can do so by seeing vaccination cards, making a copy of cards, or simply accepting self-attestation.
*for the long version, check out our Return to Work guidance.
Thanks for pretending like you’re working today and not watching golf. We see you!
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 10 – Weekly Update
San Diego is officially in the yellow tier…if only just for a week. What does this mean? Outdoor music venues would increase to 67% capacity, restaurants and gyms can open at 50% (indoor and outdoor), indoor bars can be at 25% or 100 people (whichever is less), outdoor gatherings would increase to 200 people, and a full list can be found here. So enjoy your mai-tai while you listen to music outside and lift weights. Let us know how that goes.
Thanks to those of you that joined us for a very thorough look at the very confusing return to work guidance in today’s Back in Business webinar. Special shout out to the County of San Diego and Procopio for lending us their all-stars so we could keep going, “wait, what? Huh? Seriously?” while they told us how employers need to prepare to welcome their staff and clients back into the office. If you missed it, a recording will be available on our website soon.
Click here for this week’s full update.
June 3 – Weekly Update
The bears are back! Except this time, it’s not an unusual political publicity stunt. A 17 year old (human) out of Bradbury, CA has gone viral after literally pushing a black bear OFF A WALL to protect her dogs. There’s a metaphor here somewhere…
It’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month! Pride is celebrated in the month of June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, a critical moment in the gay liberation movement. The rainbow flag we all know was created in 1978 by artist and Army veteran Gilbert Baker: red for life, orange for healing, green for nature, blue for harmony and violet for spirit.
Thank you for attending our annual Congressional Conversation yesterday! For those of you who missed it, we had a great conversation covering the federal issues that bring San Diego together: investing in housing and infrastructure, the digital divide, cybersecurity, and our economic recovery.
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 27 – Weekly Update
Maybe it’s all the winning that the Padres have been doing, or that the sun is finally coming back out, but we’re feeling good! Seaworld’s water park is reopening, the Loyal’s home opener is this weekend, over 3.57 million vaccination doses have been administered, and San Diego is starting to (somewhat) get back to normal. Here’s a list of local things to do this Memorial Day weekend.
Memorial Day commemorates those that died in service of the US Armed Forces. In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, to hold a moment of silence at 3 pm local time around the country.
#VaxFTW! Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $116.5 million vaccine incentive program – the largest in the nation. $15 million in cash prizes for 10 winners will be selected on 6/15 and $50k for 30 winners on 6/4 & 6/11. Already vaccinated are automatically entered to win and the next 2 million that get fully vaccinated can get a $50 card. If you win, we humbly suggest sponsoring a Chamber event or two.
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 20 – Weekly Update
Quick hits: California says masks are still required until June 15th (no, just because Trader Joe’s says they’re not requiring masks anymore it doesn’t trump the state guidance, sorry). The City of San Diego has blessed dining el fresco until mid-2022. UFO’s are real, and people seem to be….okay? The Padres continue to flex on the competition.
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 13 – Weekly Update
Governor Newsom said that masks may be “optional” in almost every setting after June 15th. So for those of you making a list of your “back to normal to do’s”, here’s where we’re at: do our pants still fit? How do I get rid of mascne? What are we doing with all our old masks? Is someone making a trendy quilt out of them or something? Let us know if you have the answers.
Record scratch: the CDC beat the Governor to that punch and announced today that mask guidance indoors has been relaxed. Pass the lipstick.
Mark your calendars! Our Congressional Conversation will be held June 2 from 1 – 2:30 pm, where our San Diego delegation will discuss the issues that impact us on the local, state and national levels.
Today is Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of a month of fasting for Muslims around the world. Tell your Muslim friends Eid Mubarak (blessed celebration) today!
Click here for this week’s full update.
May 6 – Weekly Update
Let the (recall) games begin! John Cox launched a new campaign ad that included a 1,000 lb. Kodiak bear named “Tag.” Honestly, we’re just embarrassed for the bear.
May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month and small business month. In San Diego, the AAPI community represents 12 percent of our population and 95 percent of all businesses are small businesses. Over the past year, we saw a surge of AAPI hate incidents, and 90 percent of Asian owned businesses lost revenue in the US. The Asian Business Association is leading support for small businesses, and other San Diego organizations are coming together to spread awareness. Earlier this week, Mayor Todd Gloria announced the formation of his administration’s AAPI Advisory Group.
Why May? On May 7 1843, the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the US and on May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed by thousands of Chinese workers.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 29 – Weekly Update
You’ve probably heard: California lost in the most recent Congressional Seats Musical Chairs. It was announced Monday that we’re losing one Congressional seat as our population grew slower than the rest of the country. A different story: San Diego’s population actually grew.
“Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President” has a nice ring to it! For the first time in US history, two women, both Californians, sat behind the president during the joint address. Biden’s address focused on the American Rescue Plan and recovery from the pandemic after one of the most difficult years in modern history. The address signaled a turning point of the pandemic, with all adults in the US eligible for vaccination May 1 and a tentative promise to return to some normalcy for the fourth of July.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 22 – Weekly Update
Our Time to Vaccinate campaign just got a really great bump from President Biden (okay, maybe we are stretching a little bit here), but on Wednesday the President announced that employers with less than 500 employees can get a tax credit of $500/per day/employee for giving their staff paid time off to vaccinate.
Happy Earth Day! Today, 40 leaders around the world are meeting at a White House summit to discuss international climate action goals. As the world is far from meeting initial targets from the Paris Climate Agreement, the pressure is on for nations to embrace bold climate action plans. In the meantime, check your green lifestyle knowledge with this National Geographic quiz.
Click here for this week’s full update.
April 15 – Weekly Update
With vaccines continuing to roll out, the June 15th date set for potential reopenings, and a Padres’ no-hitter, the possibilities seem endless. Case in point: Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is teasing a possible run for President.
Today also marks a huge vaccine eligibility turning point: all Californians ages 16 and up are now eligible.
Click here for the full update.
April 8 – Weekly Update
Great news came our way this week: if we can manage to keep our COVID rates low, a full reopening is planned for June 15th. Details are still forthcoming but we’ll make sure to keep you updated.
Also, other news: Caitlyn Jenner has opened an exploratory committee for Governor. There is a live search for monkeys on the loose in Cincinnati. There’s a national ketchup shortage.
Click here for the full update.
April 1 – Weekly Update
Back in 1582, France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, which started the new year on January 1 instead of April 1. People who mixed up the dates were called “April fools”, and now we have a day in honor of pranking each other. The more you know.
Today is the day! Petco Park reopens, welcoming fans in person for the first game of the 2021 season as the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks. Feel free to insert your favorite snide remark about how we don’t like the visitors and wish them nothing but doom, gloom and despair. Go Pads!
As we gear up to return to in person learning in San Diego, some teachers in Oakland have used the “zombie walk” to help students social distance.
Click here for the full update.
March 25 – Weekly Update
Thanks for hanging out with us for the virtual Sacramento Summit. This was definitely the first delegation trip where the majority of delegates were (probably) in pajamas during meetings… but special shout out to those of you who put on “fancy” shirts for the occasion, you looked great.
Our Time to Vaccinate campaign is well under way! Sign up to show support for the health and wellness of San Diego’s workforce by supporting employees getting vaccinated. When you sign up, your company’s logo will be added to the campaign and you will receive a vaccination handbook with helpful information and best practices for you and your employees. Need some musical encouragement? Check out the remix of Hamilton-famed tune “My Shot”, done by medical professionals in honor of the vaccine.
It’s go time: earlier today Governor Newsom announced that California is expanding vaccine eligibility for individuals 50+ beginning April 1, and those 16 and up beginning April 15.
Click here for the full update.
March 18 – Weekly Update
It’s not just St Patrick’s Day that has you seeing green. The possibility of a new, shiny, green tier was floated by Governor Newsom’s office that has us thinking 1) probably need to figure out if our clothes still fit, but 2) the end of this craziness might really be coming!
And to help speed us along to Green-Land, check out the Chamber’s Time to Vaccinate campaign and pledge your company to join the effort. Employers have a part to play in our recovery and vaccine roll out, join us!
We are only a few days away from our virtual Sacramento Summit! It’s not too late to register and hear from our state leadership on business issues, workforce needs, and housing and infrastructure. We also included a free bonus session on effective advocacy in today’s landscape with USC UC Berkeley and Pepperdine professor Dan Schnur.
Click here for the full update.
March 11 – Weekly Update
California may be loosening the requirements to go to less restrictive tiers as of Friday. Knock on wood and cross those fingers, but the efforts to vaccinate 2 million people from specific zip codes (a requirement covered in last week’s newsletter) is at 1.9 million people now.
President Biden has just signed the American Rescue Plan. Totaling $1.9 trillion, the plan has a little something for everyone- which was one of the main complaints against it from Republican lawmakers as the package passed on party line votes (one House Democrat did vote with Republicans). If you’re one of the eligible people for the stimulus checks of $1400, you can expect those to be deposited as early as this weekend. (Don’t forget to #ShopLocal!)
Click here for the full update.
March 4 – Weekly Update
It was just a year ago when toilet paper became the symbol of the pandemic (the question remains: wtf?) Everyone was making sourdough, then everyone had a Peloton, and 14 million puzzles/failed home improvement projects/streamed shows/mumblemumble pounds later…. Here we are. Facing down what might be the final few months of this experience.
Click here for the full update.
February 25 – Weekly Update
Pop the champagne, spread the news, the kids are going back to school! San Diego Unified announced on Tuesday that they’ve set a return to the classroom for April 12. And moments ago, the state announced it’s decided to follow San Diego’s lead. Newsom announced they’ll have specific access to vaccines for teachers to get expedited appointments (so long as they are already working in person or scheduled to return to work within 21 days). There’s also rumors that big changes might be coming to the state’s tier system next week… Of course, if anything is announced you’ll be able to find it here, in your favorite email of the week.
Nasa’s rover touched down on Mars last week. Check out the first images from Perseverance, a welcome distraction from pandemic life here on earth.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
February 18 – Weekly Update
The little-machine-that-could touched down on Mars moments ago. Perseverance, NASA’s rover, will cruise around the planet and send back information about the possibility of life existing in a tiny crater billions of years ago, aided by the Qualcomm-powered Ingenuity helicopter carried in its underbelly to the surface of the Red Planet. Meanwhile, we remain in our sweatpants pondering this, the 500th day of March 2020.
2.5 million women have left the workforce during the pandemic. After business closures, pandemic-related unemployment and lack of widespread affordable childcare (see our sponsor Tootris above ^^), addressing women’s workforce participation is finally an issue of national priority. Vice President Kamala Harris wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post declaring the exodus of women from the workforce a national emergency.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
February 11 – Weekly Update
It could be worse: you could get stuck as a cat while trying to be the most professional lawyer. Thank you, cat attorney man, you are what we all needed. (See also: teacher stuck as a potato)
In what could be very optimistic news, Dr. Fauci lifted a lot of spirits by saying that he expects April to be “open season” for vaccines. Get your arms ready, people!
Click here to read this week’s full update.
February 4 – Weekly Update
We look good for being 150, don’t you think? Today is the Chamber’s 150th celebration, which means we have seen more than one pandemic, more than one recession, and quite a few twists and turns, but we’re still here thanks to our incredible members. We’re proud of the role we’ve played in San Diego’s growth, and we know there are much, much better days ahead for our friends and families. Thanks for celebrating with us today, San Diego!
February is Black History Month. The County Health and Human Services have launched an outreach campaign, Black Legacy Now, to reduce racial bias in the medical field and improve infant and maternal health outcomes for Black families. The maternal mortality rate for Black mothers is 3 times higher than white mothers, regardless of other factors. The campaign supports the Countywide Perinatal Equity Initiative, designed to address causes of persistent inequality and identify best practices.
It’s also American Heart Health Month. This week’s Get Fit challenge is to “Get Heart Healthy”, and we’ve partnered with Dr. Jennifer Tuteur, Deputy Public Health Officer for the County of San Diego, to learn some heart health tips. Listen in as Dr. Tuteur shares five key steps to improving the health of our most vital organ!
Click here to read this week’s full update.
January 28 – Weekly Update
The Regional Stay at Home Order has been lifted, surprising those of us who never thought we’d be excited to return to the dreaded purple tier. Businesses can start safe reopening with restrictions, most of which are related to operating outdoors only. Read the full list from the county here.
The good news keeps coming: the gorillas in the San Diego Zoo that tested positive for COVID-19 are well on their way to a full recovery. And even better- you can go celebrate that recovery since the zoo and Safari Park are opening back up!
Dog lovers, rejoice! Our four-legged friends Champ and Major made headlines this week because dogs are back in the White House.
Yesterday, the California State Assembly unanimously approved Dr. Shirley Weber’s nomination for California Secretary of State.
“I tell people how ironic it is, that a girl whose father could not vote, whose grandparents never had a chance to vote, is now responsible for 40 million Californians and their right to vote.”
Click here to read this week’s full update.
January 21 – Weekly Update
Our newsletter is brought to you by our sponsor, TOOTRiS, but it’s written by a bunch of millennials and as such, we’d like to discuss the MVP of the inauguration: fellow young-person, inaugural poet Amanda Gorman. Aside from Lady Gaga’s gold-taxidermied bird-broach (brooch?), Ms. Gorman was the brightest part of yesterday’s ceremony and couldn’t you just feel this closing line?
“The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it– if only we are brave enough to be it.”
Did you get a chance to catch CNBC’s Streets of Dreams this week? Focused on North Harbor Dr. and the blue economy (ocean-based business, not sad money), the episode features Chamber members Workshop for Warriors and NASSCO’s Dennis Dubard!
And if you’re looking for some inspiration for your 2021- join us for a webinar hosted by Union Bank highlighting business success amidst COVID. We’ll explore how entrepreneurial thinking is one of the best tools businesses can use, what’s worked for local employers to keep people motivated, and how you find “wins” amidst a pandemic and constant change. Register here.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
January 14 – Weekly Update
Two gorillas tested positive for COVID. The big question on everyone’s mind is, will they get the vaccine before the rest of us?
We are almost done with week 1 of #GetFitSD. Haven’t signed up yet? It’s not too late. Register and we can work on our new year’s resolutions together (but separate…with a mask).
Click here to read this week’s full update.
January 7 – Weekly Update
It’s safe to say that we all hoped 2021 would find itself less newsworthy than its disastrous sibling, 2020. But yesterday we know many of you spent the day watching an immensely unsettling scene unfold at the Capitol. We’re not going to rehash those events, but we do want to express our relief that the San Diego Congressional delegation remains safe, and their staff all out of harm’s way. Ultimately, the work was resumed, as Congress did complete the counting of the Electoral College vote, and President-elect Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election.
Ready to get caught up on what you missed? Buckle up!
Click here to read this week’s full update.
December 17 – Weekly Update
Happy second-to-last day of Hanukkah to all celebrating. Hopefully, you got your loved ones a puppy for Hanukkah.
Santa may need to plan ahead this year. Online shopping has surged during the pandemic, and private carriers like UPS and FedEx have cut off some retailers to manage their services. USPS has had to take over huge volumes of mail and packages, in addition to employee shortages, causing extreme delays.
Like many of you, the Chamber staff is taking some well-deserved time off. Happy holidays to you and your families. Thank you for scrolling with us, for your kind words of support and all you do to support our region’s businesses. Remember to shop local and wear your mask.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
December 10 – Weekly Update
Ninety-year-old Margaret Keenan is the honorary “Chamber Grandma of the Year”. Which is a thing we invented this week because all of our collective hopes of getting out of our houses one day and never using the word “pivot” again rest almost entirely on her well-being. Grannie Marge, as she will now lovingly be referred to, was the first person to get the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday. And because she’s the loveliest lady, the t-shirt she chose for her big jab-day raises money for holiday presents for hospital patients and has now gone viral. It’s so great that we don’t care if this paragraph is uncharacteristically long. Go Grannie Marge! We love you! Come visit San Diego post-COVID! (Related note: we obviously have no idea how to get in touch with her, but if you do please shoot her this email).
In other happy news, which is much more fun than what we’ve been sending generally, San Diego officially welcomed Todd Gloria and his Council colleagues during a swearing-in ceremony earlier today. To the new elected officials, the returning, and their staff, we send our warmest and sincerest wishes for a productive, healthy, and generally enjoyable time in office. Their work is critical to our shared success and we applaud them.
Anyway, between color-coded tiers, a new regional stay at home order, and that very loud cell phone alert, there’s a lot going on. Check out the Union-Tribune’s user’s guide to the regional stay at home order.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
December 3 – Weekly Update
We hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! Did you miss us? Well, buckle up because this is a long one.
BREAKING: Governor Newsom announced this afternoon a Regional Stay at Home Order when a region falls below 15% remaining ICU bed capacity. The state is divided into 5 regions (see the map below), with San Diego unfortunately grouped with Los Angeles and their stubbornly high case rates. Currently, there are no regions that have fallen below the 15% threshold, but Governor Newsom cautions that it could happen for much of the state within a few days. If and when a Stay at Home Order goes into effect in our region, all bars, wineries, personal services, hair salons, and other non-essential services will be required to temporarily close. Restaurants will be allowed to serve take-out and delivery only and retail stores can remain open at a 20% capacity.
On Tuesday, San Diego marked the 1,000th death from the pandemic, a brutal reminder that even with the familiar cheer of the holiday season and the uplifting announcements of a coming vaccine, we are still very much in the woods.
However, as we learned from Mr. Rogers, it’s in crisis we should “look for the helpers.” And if you or someone you know has recovered from COVID, those suffering now urgently need your help in the form of plasma donations. This plasma is a critical treatment component, so we hope you’ll consider donating and make Mr. Rogers proud.
Get ready to make a team or compete as an individual in our annual Get Fit San Diego event! Get Fit SD is the Chamber’s annual 30-day health and fitness challenge sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. We’ll be kicking off this year’s program on January 11 and ending on February 9, all are welcome to join!
Finally, the state and county announced new grant and capital opportunities! Scroll down to the “Capital Opportunities & Resources” section of this email to read more.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
November 19 – Weekly Update
We’re catching you late this week on purpose. In just about an hour and a half, our Legislative Lounge will begin virtually, so you should be pondering which beverage you’ll be enjoying, which “lounge wear” (get it?!) you’ll be wearing and maybe making a quick snack trip. And because we miss you, very, very much, we want you to join us in the photo booth so we can see your face.
And since you’ll be at home drinking anyway, probably an OK time for us to let you know that the Governor has just announced a statewide curfew from 10p-5am beginning Saturday and lasting one month. Essential workers are exempted. We’ll continue to monitor as this develops.
Wishing you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Be safe and enjoy an extra helping of that green-beans-with-the-crunchy-onions thing because you deserve it. You also deserve a week without being beat over the head with the 2020 news nightmare, so we’ll catch you on December 3rd.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
November 12 – Weekly Update
San Diegans cried purple tears when it was announced we will be moved into the purple tier, effective Saturday. This county-wide equivalent of pulling cards based on your COVID behavior is reflective of the County’s poor numbers with regard to COVID positivity rates and will require businesses to scale back operations and in some cases, temporarily close. Additionally, local enforcement efforts will be stepped up to increase citations for violations and provide masks to those not wearing them in public.
Do you love this newsletter? Are you thinking about the best way to make sure your business logo shows up in front of major decision makers and businesses every week? Click the link to share your interest and we’ll follow up with you. (We appreciate you!)
If you’re interested in being a Senator, your window of opportunity is open (and crowded)! The race to replace Senator Kamala Harris is on, with all eyes on Newsom as it’s his, probably unlucky at the moment, job to appoint the replacement. California’s long list of political leaders are making their cases, and their different stakeholder groups are actively engaged too. Major advocacy groups, including large influential PACs all have their preferred candidate, and there’s even a push for a special election (please don’t make us do this again). The appointee would fill the remaining two years of the seat and then be up for re-election, albeit with the very strong competitive edge of being an incumbent.
If you’re missing interacting with legislators and legislative staff, don’t miss our Legislative Lounge on Thursday, November 19. Jerry will tell jokes, people will get awards, and we’ll all drink to a year that is thankfully almost over.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
November 5 – Weekly Update
It wasn’t just you. In an interesting article, the LA Times reports that delivery services and search engines were all about stress-eating and drinking on Tuesday. And although Trump claimed an early victory, and the numbers look to provide a clear path for Biden, the general anxiousness of the country is enough to tell you that we still don’t have 100% clarity. But we do have a 100% chance of lawsuits, so stay tuned.
In terrifying news, a mutated version of COVID-19 was found to exist, and be transmitted to humans via mink living on mink-farms in Denmark. Twelve people so far have been infected.
Like we keep saying: This year has been hard. Please take care of yourself. If nobody else has told you today, you deserve a nap.
Finally, wishing a very Happy Veterans Day to all who have served in the Armed Services! Thank you and your family for your service to our nation.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
October 29 – Weekly Update
The final presidential debate was surprisingly civil, thanks to the moderator’s mute button (where has that been all of 2020?). This election is on track to have the highest voter turnout rate in a century.
Despite being knocked out of the World Series, three Padres were selected for All-MLB teams. And congratulations to the Dodgers for winning their first title since 1998. We’re not bitter or anything.
Have a safe and happy Halloween! (And keep wearing your masks!)
Click here to read this week’s full update.
October 22 – Weekly Update
Feeling lucky? Help shape the future of San Diego transit. MTS wants your feedback on how to improve the transit experience during and after the pandemic. Fill out this survey specifically for Chamber members by the end of October. Three lucky participants will win a $50 gift card!
Californians are breaking voting records this year! Over 4.5 million votes have already been processed, about three times the number of votes cast this time during the 2016 elections. Only 12 more days to go.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
October 15 – Weekly Update
Congratulations to our Small Business Awards winners! Computers 2 Kids, FASTSIGNS, and GoBeRewarded demonstrated resilience, innovation, and compassionate leadership during this year’s pandemic response and recovery.
And congratulations to you! You’ve made it seven months into some variation of quarantine, sweat through heatwaves, virtual learning, and have sent in your ballot early OR made a plan to vote! (This is a not so subtle hint you should have received your ballot and we are encouraging you to vote). It’s been a wildly challenging year, but we’re surviving, together, and we’re sending you a virtual high five, a fist bump, a hug, and a cheers.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
October 8 – Weekly Update
Today is San Diego County’s annual “Check Your Mood Day”, a reminder to check your emotional well-being and screen for depression. Check out Live Well San Diego’s free mental health resources and online self-assessment here. The way this year has been, we could all use a reminder to prioritize our mental health and reach out to support our friends and family.
Got an old computer gathering dust? Donate it to the “Meet the Need Computer Drive” and help local students access their virtual school. The Meet the Need Computer Drive is a month-long computer donation effort by the Chamber, Cox California, and the San Diego County Office of Education to benefit Computers 2 Kids, a non-profit that refurbishes unwanted technology and gives it to local families in need. This is a great way to do some 2020-cleaning AND help set up local students for success.. (Fun fact- if you’re doing an office-wide computer upgrade, you can donate all your old gear).
Mail-in ballots are arriving this week. This year, there are about 1.9 million registered voters in San Diego county (are you one of them? Check here.) If you’re not voting by mail, options for voting in person have changed. Instead of the usual 1,600 polling stations spread throughout the county, there will be 235 “superpoll locations” open for four days. For mail-in ballots, there are 126 drop-off locations. For more information, read here. Don’t forget to check out our voter guide, where we endorsed the best candidates and policies for the business community.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
October 1 – Weekly Update
Fires, and Purple Tiers, and debates. Oh my. In what promises to be an added cyclical stressor on San Diegans is the Tuesday “will-they-won’t-they” game of our tier designation by the state. We remain, yet again in the red tier, however, there was a considerable question about how likely that would be. San Diego must meet specific metrics to remain red and must improve our outbreak numbers to be considered for the Orange, more permissive, tier.
There was a debate. There are still fires. It’s October and honestly, how did that even happen?
We hope you’re well. Next week we’ll bring some snazzy good news for you… like the names of our small business award winners. (psst: register here for the 10/8 Small Business Awards virtual event)
Click here to read this week’s full update.
September 24 – Weekly Update
2020 is sparing nothing. Friday, the death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was announced. She was 87, an icon, and deeply respected. Undoubtedly, she is also the only Justice to have a cool nickname (“Notorious RBG” in case you lived under a rock), become a meme, and inspire women everywhere to rock a killer accessory while being a total bada** in her field. Needless to say, she will be missed.
WE’RE RED! Our region collectively breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Governor’s data showed that businesses would not be moved into a more restrictive tier on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the county announced the region’s conducted over 1,000,000 COVID-19 tests. (P.S. Wear a mask!)
We’re also … winning? The Padres gave San Diegans another huge boost making it to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. A little bit of hope and some happy experiences mean even more these days. Go Padres!
Click here to read this week’s full update.
September 17 – Weekly Update
Happy Constitution Day! This week also marks six months since the Chamber’s policy team began sending our weekly Legislative Update. Like Venus, one of the brightest objects in the night sky, we hope it’s one of the brightest emails in your inbox. (And hey, if things on Earth keep getting you down, there’s always life on Venus).
Next Wednesday at 10:30am, the Chamber Foundation, in partnership with SDG&E, will host the All Our Talent Legislative Summit, highlighting women in policy-making roles who have been working on issues related to women’s advancement in the workplace. Sign up by clicking the link above.
The Chamber’s 2020 [Virtual] Small Business Awards are right around the corner, on October 8! This year, through a new Small Business Scholarship program, the Chamber will be awarding four Bronze-level Chamber membership renewals to current Chamber members who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance. In addition, three members will be recognized for outstanding achievements in the following categories: Community Minded, Creative Pivot, and 2020 Success Story. Nominations and applications are open until September 30.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
September 10 – Weekly Update
In San Diego, we tout our region’s unique ability to collaborate. That has held especially true this week as the Valley Fire continues to impact our county. The Navy and Marines from NAS North Island, Camp Pendleton, and MCAS Miramar have joined CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire in the fight and while it’s far from over, we received some positive news this morning that the fire is now 32% contained.
Thank you to the first responders and public health responders who are working to keep our community safe.
We’d also like to give a shout to SDG&E for their efforts during the heatwave to keep the power on for San Diegans and their work to mitigate additional fire risk.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
September 3 – Weekly Update
Campaign ads have begun! T-61 days until election day everyone. Mail ballots go out on October 1, and the Chamber voter guide, which you are all excited to get your hands on, will be available soon. Speaking of… you may have heard some things lately about voting. Here’s some quick reminders:
- You can check your registration status here.
- Questions about the voting process in a pandemic? Here’s a nice guide.
- Only vote once. Seriously.
Additionally, we would like to draw your attention to a special city council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 8. The council will hear two new ordinances proposed by Councilmember Chris Ward: temporary supplemental sick leave, and emergency recall and retention. Both proposals are remarkably similar to bills passed by the state on Monday, AB 1867 (supplemental sick leave) and AB 3216 (emergency recall and retention). If these bills are signed by the governor in the coming week (which is likely), the local conversation could be moot. However, it is still important that businesses provide feedback as these ordinances would be effective immediately, and with little education, if any, prior to enforcement. If you or your business has concerns about these policy proposals, please reach out to Rebecca at RLieberman@sdchamber.org.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
August 27 – Weekly Update
California’s fire season went full-2020 and not only started early but is ravaging record amounts of land and structures throughout the state. Please, remember that fire season preparedness is absolutely necessary and we cannot be too careful.
We start the final months of 2020 with uplifting local news however, as the county’s positive COVID-19 case rates are at a 3.6% average and remain below the county’s 8% average over a 14-day rolling period. Reopening guidance from the state is expected tomorrow.
More exciting news, tomorrow, SeaWorld San Diego will reopen for the first time since the start of the pandemic with the launch of a new outdoor experience, Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ & Brews! Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the park’s animal exhibits and a limited-time food and drink menu, featuring San Diego’s best craft beers. Details here.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
August 20 – Weekly Update
Some good news: the county is off the state monitoring list. Some bad news: you’ve probably noticed the scorching heat wave that has California in its grip, causing wildfires throughout the state. We want to send our thoughts to the families impacted by the especially brutal fires in this unprecedented time.
In the broader energy debate, the rolling blackouts brought up big policy questions about how to bolster the grid to ensure better reliability as the state has been working toward ambitious goals to increase its use of renewable energy (wind/solar) and decrease its use of natural gas. And while the necessity of doing so is generally agreed upon to be necessary as we address climate change, here’s the current challenge: energy produced by wind and solar often isn’t enough to meet high demands for energy when it’s 100+ degrees and everyone is working from home. So, as we’re finding with most everything during this pandemic, it’s smart- necessary, even- to have a backup plan.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
August 13 – Weekly Update
Even during a pandemic, veepstakes and election enthusiasm have brought back some feeling of election season normalcy. This week, Joe Biden announced California’s own Kamala Harris as his running mate. This is historic–making Harris the first Black and South Asian woman on a major party ticket. The pick is particularly interesting for Californians, as her highly coveted Senate seat now draws plenty of interest from possible successors. For those wondering, here’s how that would work: first, Biden/Harris would have to win in November, then Governor Newsom has to appoint her successor to fill her seat until this term ends in 2022. Not only is the appointment notable as it leaves out election drama, but it would allow that appointee to run as an incumbent in 2022, a significant advantage. Needless to say, the next few months will be eventful.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
August 6 – Weekly Update
Happy August! It’s the official ‘back to school’ season. Though this year, it’s quite different. This week, the State published new guidance for reopening of elementary schools. Despite the fact that San Diego and many of other counties across the state remain on the COVID-19 watch list, elementary schools within counties with fewer than 200 cases per 100,000 people can now apply for a waiver to reopen for in-person learning. San Diego Unified, which announced last month that schools in the district will begin the school year with online-only learning, has not announced whether or not they will apply for waiver. Yesterday, Poway Unified School District announced the major decision to remain fully virtual through December. The county is currently working on a template for the waiver process and expects to release it by the end of the week. The waiver will first have to be submitted to our local public health officer for approval before going to the state Department of Public Health.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
July 30 – Weekly Update
Today Congressman John Lewis was laid to rest in Atlanta, Georgia. In a final essay published today, he urged us all to, “answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.” He also reminds us:
Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.
With less than 100 days until the November election, you can take a moment to check your voter registration or register to vote here. Rest in peace, Congressman.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
July 23 – Weekly Update
As you may well know, masks have been a ‘thing’ here in San Diego long before the COVID-19 pandemic. While large in-person events are still off the table for now, the innovative spirit of the organizers of Comic-Con is undefeated. As with all good superhero stories, the good guys win in the end and loyal convention-goers have had their tradition rescued. All scheduled panels for this year’s event are available to be streamed online, on-demand. Here’s a list of the top 5 most anticipated panels attendees can tune into today.
Click here to read this week’s full update.
July 16 – Weekly Update
Click here to read this week’s full update.
July 9 – Weekly Update
Thank you to all who were able to join us for our 2020 Congressional Conversation this afternoon! Our San Diego delegation spoke candidly on a wide array of topics facing our nation, including police reform, the COVID-19 pandemic, health care, and immigration.
It was a great event to break up a tough week for San Diego, as confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to grow throughout the region. Restaurants and other establishments were ordered to close indoor operations (more information below) and any additional reopening is delayed until August 1. Hospitalizations as a result of the coronavirus are at a record high and we encourage all businesses and individuals to comply with state and county guidance and wear a mask when outside of your home.
Recovered COVID-19 patients are needed to meet the demand of local hospital requests for convalescent plasma. While COVID-19 has no proven treatment, plasma taken from those who have recovered may help patients currently fighting the virus because the plasma has developed antibodies against the virus. The San Diego Blood Bank created a form where people can submit their contact information to qualify for convalescent plasma donation.
Click here to read the week’s full update.
July 2 – Weekly Update
Yesterday, Governor Newsom dialed back reopening in 19 counties across the state. These counties were ordered to immediately suspend indoor operations of restaurants, wineries/tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, and museums as well as all bars both indoor and outdoor. While San Diego is not included on the list of counties of concern, neighboring Imperial, Orange, and Riverside counties were all included. Local county health officials caution that San Diego will likely be forced to dial back our reopening if local behavior does not change.
Have a safe, healthy, and happy Fourth of July! Please remember to follow state and county public health guidance: wear a mask, maintain a physical distance from others, and refrain from gathering with members outside of your household.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
June 25 – Weekly Update
This week the Chamber celebrated the launch of the All Our Talent: Women on Boards and Commissions Initiative with special guests and featured speakers First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. The initiative is an effort of the San Diego Regional Chamber Foundation with support from Mine The Gap focused on addressing the need for more women on corporate, nonprofit, and government-appointed boards and commissions in our region.
As part of the All Our Talent initiative, the Chamber released a report and dashboard on the state of women on boards and commissions locally and the disparities and barriers in our region’s leadership. This information and how to get involved are available online here.
Earlier this week it was also announced that Caroline Winn, the Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and the thought leader behind the initiative, was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Gas & Electric Company.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
June 18 – Weekly Update
This week, in a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court decided that the Civil Rights Act, passed in 1964, also protects LGBTQ employees from discrimination in the workplace. Additionally, just this morning, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration cannot continue with its plan to terminate the DACA program, which the Chamber has strongly supported for several years. Read more about this decision and the vital role Dreamers play in the U.S. economy in the International Business Affairs section of this email below.
This afternoon, Governor Newsom announced Californians are now required to wear facial coverings in indoor or outdoor public spaces. Guidance from the Department of Public Health can be found here. Also this afternoon, the County announced there have been eight COVID-19 community outbreaks within seven days. Businesses approved to reopen tomorrow can proceed with reopening. Businesses in line to reopen after tomorrow are on hold. The County continues to caution following the facial covering and social distancing guidelines. The County will update its facial covering guidance to match the state’s.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
June 11 – Weekly Update
This week marks another milestone as our community continues to reopen. San Diego County announced exciting news Monday after receiving guidance from the state. A number of businesses can begin reopening tomorrow, June 12, including hotels, museums, gyms, pools, and bars. The full list of businesses and guidance for reopening can be found here. The county also announced that campgrounds and sportfishing businesses could reopen immediately.
On Tuesday, the county expanded the list of reopened businesses to include movie theaters (at limited capacity). As we all start to enjoy the reopened businesses, a friendly reminder that the guidance for facial coverings, social distancing, and prohibition of group gatherings still remain in effect.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
June 4 – Weekly Update
The events of this past week, across the nation, and here in San Diego, are a painful reminder of just how much work remains to be done when it comes to racial equality and justice in America. We hear the voices calling for overdue change and action. The Chamber is committed to doing our part to see that positive change is made and will continue to focus our efforts on creating economic opportunity for all, as we are guided by our mission to make the San Diego region the best place to live and work.
On Monday, Jerry joined Mayor Faulconer, City Council President Gomez, Councilmember Montgomery, Police Chief Nisleit, and community leaders to announce the San Diego Police Department will stop using a carotid restraint as a use-of-force procedure effective immediately. During the press conference, Jerry noted that this is the beginning of “the road to discussing meaningful change in police and community relations.” Since Monday’s announcement, 15 other policing agencies throughout the county, including the Sheriff’s Department, have agreed to ban the restraint.
LEAD San Diego, an affiliate of the San Diego Regional Chamber, hosted a discussion with Dr. Steven Jones, CEO of JONES, and Starla Lewis, Professor Emeritus at San Diego Mesa College, on the long-overdue reckoning on policing practices and systematic racism and how we as leaders of teams, organizations, and families can step up and be part of the change our country needs. You can watch a recording of the powerful webinar here.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
May 28 – Weekly Update
Memorial Day marked the unofficial start of summer. While domestic and international tourism to the region remains down, many San Diegans celebrated the warm weather and enjoyed new liberties granted by the County Health Department. While San Diego has developed a good reputation from the State authorities in Sacramento on its handling of the virus, some local businesses have failed to comply with standards set by the County. If you or your business have any questions regarding reopening guidance from the County, please reach out to a member of the policy team or your membership relations manager.
Click here to read this week’s complete update.
May 21 – Weekly Update
On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to move into an accelerated Stage 2 of California’s Resilience Roadmap. Late last night, the County received approval from the State’s Department of Public Health to move further into Stage 2, allowing dine-in options in restaurants and in-store retail. Businesses must follow social distancing protocols and complete the County’s Safe Reopening Plan. Safe Reopening Plan guidance can be found on the County’s website here for restaurants and here for retail stores.
The County is transitioning its daily COVID-19 briefings to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. However, this afternoon there is a press briefing at 2:30 p.m. in light of the Stage 2 reopening news.
Memorial Day Weekend looks a lot different than years past. Ceremonies honoring our nation’s service men and women who lost their lives during military service will be held virtually. We wish you a safe Memorial Day Weekend!
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May 14 – Weekly Update
This week Speaker Pelosi unveiled the HEROES Act, which includes beefed-up stimulus payments of up to $6,000 per family, $1 trillion to local governments to pay for essential front-line workers, $75 billion for increased testing and tracing, and $10 billion for economic injury disaster loans dedicated to businesses, among other things. The Mexican federal government announced a phased reopening plan. And, locally, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Supervisor Greg Cox joined together to urge Governor Newsom to allow more flexibility for localities trying to open.
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May 7 – Weekly Update
If the global health pandemic, economic crisis, and soaring local unemployment weren’t giving you night sweats yet, the heatwave and red tide stench might have done the trick. However, there may be some light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel. Governmental leaders are all looking at a phased reopening, creating an important window for businesses to provide feedback for suggested ways to make that reopening stable, safe, and successful.
UCSD made a major announcement regarding testing as part of its plan to bring students back for the Fall, demonstrating capacity and ability to test which will be critical to larger strategies of reopening.
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April 30 – Weekly Update
This week felt like a rollercoaster ride. Beaches across the county were reopened on Monday, just in time for surfers to view the bioluminescent “red tide”. Last night it was reported that Governor Newson would order all beaches and state parks throughout California close by Friday. Then this afternoon, during his daily press conference, the Governor applauded the great work of our local San Diego leaders and announced that only beaches in Orange County would close. Additionally, SANDAG published a startling report that, as of April 23, one in four San Diegans are unemployed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At 24.7%, the county’s unemployment rate is higher than the national average due to the region’s vast tourism industry, now at a standstill.
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April 23 – Weekly Update
As you’ve likely heard, the Chamber is pleased to represent you in a working group convened by Mayor Faulconer and Supervisor Cox to address immediate needs in the business community. Additionally, we are working on a parallel effort with our partners at EDC and the Tourism Authority to think about a long-term framework for economic success, which we’ve titled “Back in Business.” To make sure our work is reflective of the needs of your business and your industry, please fill out this survey and let us know how best to guide these policy discussions.
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April 16 – Weekly Update
This week marks California’s sixth week in a State of Emergency and our fourth week sheltering in place. While we all are starting to adjust to this new normal, the Chamber continues to recognize the unprecedented nature of these times. We are beginning to look forward and understand how we can best ensure the San Diego region’s resiliency and recovery over the coming weeks, months, and years. That understanding is being driven by discussions in our committees that revolve around how best to safely, swiftly and sustainably move forward.
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April 9 – Weekly Update
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April 3
Update from the County of San Diego Public Health Officer regarding the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the San Diego region. Attached is Addendum 1 to the Order of the Health Officer, effective April 3, 2020 as of 12:00 a.m. Addendum 1 adds the following requirements to the existing Order of the Health Officer:
Click here to read the complete Health Order.
April 2 – Weekly Update
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March 26 – Weekly Update
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March 25
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March 20
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March 19 – Weekly Update
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