The Buzz 07.10.25

FREE SPEECH

Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, announced July 2 that it decided to settle with President Donald Trump to the tune of $16 million, rather than defend its editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in October. Following the show’s airing, Trump sued CBS for $20 billion, claiming election interference. Freedom of the Press Foundation announced it intends to take legal action. “Each time a company cowers and surrenders to Trump’s demands, it only emboldens him to do it again,” FPF stated in a press release. “It will be remembered as one of the most shameful capitulations by the press to a president in history.” Senators, including Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, opened an investigation into Paramount to determine if Paramount’s negotiations with Trump amount to bribery, as the company is seeking federal approval for a merger with Skydance.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Carmel is really about that understated elegance.” - Carmel City Councilmember Hans Buder, noting that valet parking, which was rejected by the council on July 1, doesn’t fit the town’s character (see story, montereycountynow.com).

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District students wanting to be involved in their communities will soon have more opportunities to do so. The California Department of Education recently awarded the district $500,000 to expand service learning experiences through June 2027 that help students earn the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The California Serves grant will go toward adding new service learning courses for high school seniors, training teachers to help them design projects and hiring a coordinator to oversee implementation. “By integrating service learning into our high school curriculum, we’re not only enhancing instruction but also cultivating student agency, civic identity and community connection,” said Cresta McIntosh, associate superintendent of educational services. The program is expected to impact nearly 870 seniors for the upcoming school year.

GREAT:

Hartnell College theater students are taking their show on the road. After performing Get with the Times, Jane! in November in Salinas, the group of students are heading to Cleveland, Ohio to stage the bilingual play at the BorderLight Theatre Festival from July 17-19. The play tells the story of a proto-feminist from 1916 who travels forward in time to 2016 to both admire and condemn the current situation of women. Instructor River Navaille pitched the show to festivals across the nation, with BorderLight accepting. Hartnell’s GANAS program is paying for the students’ travel expenses with Hispanic Serving Institution grant funds. Before the students head to Ohio, they will stage a free performance at the Monterey County Office of Education’s Blackbox Theater, 901 Blanco Circle in Salinas, on Friday, July 11 at 7pm (see Hot Picks, p. 26).