Daily Business Report: October 26, 2026
By Sophia Sleap | Special to Times of San Diego
While the pilot has ended, staff at the San Diego court continues to use a telephone translation service offered through a private vendor, United Language Group, which Cox said uses human interpreters. The service was available throughout the pilot, alongside the tool.
The pilot program began in 2021 and ended in April 2026, according to public records obtained by legal aid groups. Before launching the pilot, a work group of the Judicial Council explored available technologies, including Google, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft. Google had the highest average score in tests the council ran for accuracy and responsiveness.
The Judicial Council, which oversees policymaking for California courts, released a request for proposals in late August seeking vendors to roll out AI translation statewide at public-facing service points such as clerk’s counters, with a contract starting Dec. 1. Vendors submitted proposals in late September, and the council was scheduled to announce its intent to award a contract Oct. 26. Instead, it published a notice of cancellation on Oct. 15.
From the Cheap Seats: A Cheap Fake
by Gavin Walsh | California Globe
We’re coming down to the wire in the 2026 elections. For residents of Encinitas District 4, the City Council race deserves particular attention.
The contest pits appointed incumbent Marco San Antonio against challenger Brad Lefkowits, an Encinitas newcomer. The choice is between a demonstrated record of public service and a boatload of rhetorical claims. It’s the difference between the genuine article and a cheap fake.
San Antonio has a record to run on. He grew up in Village Park, attended local schools, and has been involved in the family business on Coast Highway since childhood. He and his wife are raising their two children in Olivenhain. His public service includes ten years as a reserve firefighter with the Orange County Fire Authority and elected service on the Olivenhain water board. Appointed to the City Council in January 2025, he also completed the city’s Community Emergency Response Team training earlier this year.
UC San Diego sent hundreds of dead bodies to the military — Families say they never knew.
by Thomas Murphy and Sasha Ryu | Special for Times of San Diego
Niranjana Anandpura was dying in hospice, her skin burning from shingles-induced nerve pain.
For over a decade, she planned on donating her body to science, hoping to train future doctors or advance medical research. As the matriarch’s health declined, her family prepared to honor her final wish.
The University of California San Diego, home to the nation’s second-largest body donation program, was ready to accept her remains.
