Daily Business Report: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Coast Guard Fires Shots at Boat Operated by Suspected Human Smugglers Near San Diego
By Jill McLaughln | The Epoch Times
A U.S. Coast Guard crew fired shots at a boat carrying illegal immigrants May 10 near Point Loma off Southern California after suspected human smugglers ignored verbal warnings, officials have confirmed.
The incident occurred at about 5:50 p.m. just off the coast about two miles south of Point Loma near San Diego, according to the Coast Guard.
Crews on watch at the Coast Guard Sector’s San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center reported seeing an 18-foot cuddy cabin vessel traveling at a high rate of speed north, according to the report.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Launches Fact-Checking Website
By Kimberly Hayek | The Epoch Times
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a new website aimed at countering what he says is false information about the state and his administration.
“We just launched a new site to call out the misinformation machine that consistently spews lies about CA,” Newsom said in a post on the social media platform X on May 7. “And we’re done letting the trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back—with facts.”
Financed by Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy PAC, the website, CaliforniaFacts.com, lists a range of topics that will be addressed, including climate, crime, the Los Angeles fires, immigration, water, and the economy.
Gov. Newsom’s Office Continues To Receive Backlash Over Attacking A USC Professor
By Evan Symon | California Globe
Backlash against Governor Gavin Newsom for disparaging a USC Professor who said that California would be facing a 75% increase in the price of gas after closing refineries continued on Monday, with state lawmakers joining in the criticism of the Governor.
Last week, USC Professor Michael Mische warned that gas could hit as high as $8.42, or a 75% in price, thanks to the pending closure of two key Californian refineries. In his report, he found that California could be facing a gas deficit of 6.6 million to 13.1 million gallons a day if the refineries close, with a likely increase happening as soon as this summer. He also warned of ripple effects affecting virtually every industry in the state.
“California can ill afford the loss of one refinery, let alone two,” said Mische. “Multiple models indicate that the shutdown of the two California-based refineries could possibly place the Golden State in a precarious economic situation and create a gasoline deficit potentially ranging from 6.6 million to 13.1 million gallons a day, as defined by the shortfall between consumption and production. Reductions in fuel supplies of this magnitude will resonate throughout multiple supply chains affecting production, costs, and prices across many industries such as air travel, food delivery, agricultural production, manufacturing, electrical power generation, distribution, groceries, and healthcare.
