The Buzz 01.02.25

FREE SPEECH

ABC News will pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over host George Stephanopoulos’ incorrect claim on air that the president-elect was found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll, when a jury had found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The settlement, which was reached Dec. 14, also required ABC News to post a note on its website expressing regret for the remarks that Stephanopoulos made during a March 10 segment on This Week. The network also agreed to pay $1 million in legal fees to the law firm of Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito. Some critics interpreted the network’s decision as caving into the president-elect’s demands as a way to curry favor. A report by the New York Times, however, stated ABC News decided to settle rather than risk taking the case to the Supreme Court, where legal protections for the press could have been eroded. “We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing,” ABC News spokeswoman Jeannie Kedas said.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“You have to take the forecasts with a bit of a grain of salt.” - Keaton Browning, a forecaster with Surfline, on whether there will be a La Niña event this winter (see story, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Salinas native Everett Alvarez Jr. has been honored with the signing of the Everett Alvarez Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act by President Joe Biden, recognizing Alvarez’s heroism and service to the country, U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, announced on Dec. 27. “With this legislation, our country formally recognizes Cmdr. Alvarez’s unparalleled courage, resilience and dedication to our democracy during his time as one of our nation’s longest-serving prisoners of war,” Panetta said in a press release. Alvarez, serving in the Navy, was the first U.S. pilot to be shot down during the Vietnam War, spending eight-and-a-half years as a POW. Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas was named after the hometown hero, who later served in multiple government roles. He’s the recipient of the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, two Legions of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

GREAT:

A recent study published in the scientific journal Biological Invasions reports on some good news, not only on the recovery of the southern otter population in Elkhorn Slough, but their ability to keep populations of the globally invasive green crab at bay. It’s a win-win for the estuary as far as effective conservation strategies go, where an endangered apex predator is offering a way to control the green crab which, when out of control, can decimate native populations. “I think what differentiates this current study is that now we’re looking at the effects of the otters on an invasive species,” says Rikke Jeppesen, an estuarine ecologist at Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve who spearheaded the study. “They’re so important for a healthy ecosystem. There has just been study after study documenting that if you remove that species, everything can change. They’re kind of like estuary assistant managers.”