Daily Business Report: Friday, October 3, 2025
County’s Pharmacy Chief Also Works at a Law Firm
By Lisa Halverstadt | Voice of San Diego
The county of San Diego’s chief pharmacy officer, who collects a $232,419 yearly salary, moonlights as a partner at a New York-based law firm that advises pharmaceutical companies.
County officials refused Voice of San Diego’s request for disclosure documents that county staff must submit about outside work or other activities that may conflict with their county duties.
Dr. Emily Do is the county’s full-time chief pharmacy officer, who oversees county pharmacy practices and standards and has been in that role since 2019. In April, she joined the law firm Dilworth & Barrese as a partner and patent attorney, according to her LinkedIn profile.
New California law restricts HOA fines to $100 per violation, giving homeowners a break
By Nadia Lathan| CalMatters
An ornate balcony or quirky garage door might be in reach for more Californians as homeowners associations across the state are being forced to govern without the power of exorbitant fees to enforce regulations.
Millions of California residents could get a break if they violate their homeowners association rules due to a new law that caps fines at $100, down from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Amid an affordability crisis, lawmakers and groups that represent homeowners have characterized the cap, which took effect July 1, as protecting the pocketbooks of middle- and low-income residents. However, HOA boards worry the new restriction will limit their authority to enforce rules.
Attorneys for homeowners and HOAs say it will get rid of extreme cases where board members impose unfair and egregious fines to retaliate against homeowners they dislike.
Newsom threatens to cut USC funding if it complies with Trump demands
By Jeanne Kuang | CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday threatened to cut billions in state funding from the University of Southern California if it complies with a Trump administration request to impose the president’s political priorities on campus.
USC was one of nine public and private universities across the country that received offers of preferential access to federal funds from the White House Thursday in exchange for agreeing to a wide variety of policy directives, many of which align with conservative demands of higher education.
Newsom responded with his own ultimatum: sign the White House request, and “instantly” lose state funding, including CalGrants, the $2.4 billion in annual state-funded scholarships for California students. The vast majority of those grants go to public university students; USC received $28.4 million in CalGrants in the 2024-2025 school year, covering financial aid for 3,198 students, California Student Aid Commission spokesperson Shelveen Ratnam said.
