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How A Charter School Scheme Allegedly Siphoned $50M In Taxpayer Money | Kristen Taketa, Morgan Cook May 31, 2019

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Two charter school leaders illegally pocketed more than $50 million of state funds by siphoning the money through a network of 19 online charter schools across California which falsely enrolled thousands of students, prosecutors alleged Wednesday. The schools include three that were authorized to operate by the Dehesa Elementary School District in San Diego County: Valiant Academy of Southern California, California Academy of Sports Science and University Prep. Dehesa’s superintendent also is facing charges and has pleaded not guilty. San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said that leaders of the charter schools enrolled thousands of students into their schools, often without their knowledge, and collected millions of dollars in state funds. Many students were already enrolled in private schools or in youth athletic groups, and the charter school leaders bought their information to claim them as their students, Stephan said.

The McStay Case - The Murder Of A Family Of Four - Nears Its End | Teri Figueroa May 30, 2019

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It’s been more than nine years since a Fallbrook family of four disappeared, leaving authorities stumped. The discovery of the family’s SUV near the U.S.-Mexico border led many — including law enforcement — to suspect they left the country. Nearly four years would pass before the remains of the McStays — Joseph, 40, Summer, 43, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3 — were found, their bodies buried in shallow graves outside Victorville, more than 100 miles from their home, in November 2013. A year later, authorities arrested Charles “Chase” Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay. Merritt was charged with four counts of murder. He pleaded not guilty. Joseph McStay sold indoor water features and fountains, and often hired Merritt, a welder, to craft them. Prosecutors say Merritt had been dipping into McStay’s business account. Merritt’s attorneys pointed the finger at another McStay associate.

Alpine Rep. Duncan Hunter Admits To Taking A Photo With A Dead Combatant | Greg Moran, Andrew Dyer May 29, 2019

Show notes

At a forum in Ramona on Saturday, Rep. Duncan Hunter also addressed the pending court martial case against San Diego-based Navy SEAL chief Edward Gallagher and Army Capt. Mathew L. Golsteyn. Both are charged with committing war crimes during their service — Gallagher in Iraq and Golsteyn in Afghanistan. Gallagher is charged with several crimes including killing a teenage Islamic State fighter who was brought to his unit for medical treatment. He’s accused of stabbing the fighter in the neck. Prosecutors also said he texted a photograph of himself next to the dead fighter and wrote he “got him with my hunting knife.” As he recounted the allegation of Gallagher posing next to a dead body for a photograph, Hunter, also a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said “a lot of us have done the exact same thing.” He said he, too, had a photo taken of himself next to a dead combatant, but said he did not text it or post to social media. Hunter called the military justice system “corrupt,” run by lawyers and bureaucrats intent on pursuing “war fighters.” He said he would support a pardon of the two men from Trump, who has indicated he was considering doing so. Hunter also said the civilian justice system was as bad as the military, saying ambitious prosecutors were simply out to get “wins” under their belts.

San Diego's Burger Scene Is Having A Moment | Michele Parente May 28, 2019

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Forget fish tacos. In these polarized times, perhaps the one thing San Diegans of all stripes can agree on is that this town has ascended to burger heaven. Whether they’re pressed on a flat top, diner-style, grilled at a gourmet restaurant or made to replicate a fast-food classic, San Diego’s burger-sphere is sizzling. No casual joint nor serious eatery worth its ketchup — no mustard! — would dare to not have an expertly crafted burger on its menu.

UCSD Seeks To Revamp Its Image With Its New "Front Door" | Gary Robbins May 25, 2019

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In one of the biggest physical and social changes in school history, UC San Diego will create its first "front door," a grand entrance meant to appeal as much to the public as students and ease crowding on a campus where enrollment could hit 40,000 this fall. Plans are being drafted for a gateway that will blend art, culture, entertainment, dining, education and research — the same mix that helps funnel people from Westwood Village to UCLA. UCSD will exploit public transit, placing everything from an outdoor theater to an art-filled plaza to a consumer-oriented design building next to the Blue Line trolley station that's being built on campus, near Geisel Library. The school also will add a massive student center nearby, and. in a bit of whimsy, it is proposing to hang 20 play swings on cables attached to the bottom of the depot. "Anybody who comes to San Diego should have this campus as a destination in addition to Balboa Park or the Gaslamp district," said UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla.

6 High-Level Departures In 6 Months, What's Going On At SDSU? | Gary Robbins May 24, 2019

Show notes

Six San Diego State University executives have announced that they are leaving for other schools, jobs or retiring, including a dean who says she grew tired of the turnover and leadership issues the school has experienced over the past two years. All of the changes have occurred in the past six months, and mark a high degree of turnover during Adela de la Torre’s first year as president. The departures include two deans, an acting associate dean, the director of the School of Accountancy, the university’s chief fundraiser, and SDSU’s enrollment director. It is not clear whether de la Torre asked one or more people to leave, or whether the executives sought change.

Qualcomm Loses An Antitrust Lawsuit, Putting Its Business Model At Risk | Mike Freeman May 23, 2019

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A federal Judge has ruled that Qualcomm violated antitrust laws by using its top position in smartphone chips to extract excessive patent license fees for its cellular inventions, striking a major blow to the San Diego company’s business model. After four months of deliberations, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh found against Qualcomm in an antitrust lawsuit brought two years ago by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/story/2019-05-22/federal-judge-rules-qualcomm-violated-antitrust-laws

Horton Remodel OK-ed, And California's Auto Sales Slip | Jennifer Van Grove, Rob Nikolewski May 22, 2019

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Reporter Jennfier Van Grove gives an update on the planned redevelopment of Horton Plaza; and Rob Nikolewski explains why slipping automotive sales could be the first indicator of an economic recession.

Would You Eat Fish Grown From Stem Cells In A Lab? | Brittney Meilling May 21, 2019

Show notes

In a small laboratory in Sorrento Valley, scientists at BlueNalu are growing fish parts — just the muscle and fat — from cells. The tissue will one day be stacked into familiar shapes like freshly caught Mahi-mahi fillets, red snapper or flaked tuna using something akin to a 3D printer. Instead of printing plastic, the scientists are using ink made of cells. The startup’s experimental food is a far cry from the plant-based meat products that keep popping up in headlines and are designed to look like something they’re not. BlueNalu’s “alternative seafood” will be made of real fish cells — they’re just grown outside the fish’s body. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/story/2019-05-18/would-you-eat-lab-created-fish-this-san-diego-startup-is-carving-new-path-in-alt-meat-industry

Waiting In The Willows— What Human Remains Are Doing In The Museum Of Man | Peter Rowe May 18, 2019

Show notes

Inside the San Diego Museum of Man, the dead wait in a locked, climate-controlled room. Known as The Willows, this chamber contains 16,000 bone fragments, skeletons and mummies, the remains of at least 5,000 human beings. For more than a century, these relics were excavated from caves, burial grounds , battlefields and construction sites in Egypt, Peru, Vietnam, India and throughout San Diego County. Inside the museum, they were studied by scientists and gawked at by visitors. Or so they were in the past. Today, The Willows is off-limits to casual observers and researchers alike. Instead, the dead wait while the museum tries to deliver them to their final resting place, home with their ancestors.

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