The Buzz 08.29.24

FREE SPEECH

California lawmakers abandoned a bill that would have forced Big Tech companies to pay newsrooms for the content that online searches profit from. The California Journalism Preservation Act (Assembly Bill 886) would have forced sites like Google and Facebook to share money they earn from copyrighted content produced by journalists. Instead, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, dropped AB 886 and announced an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom and with tech companies on Aug. 21. The agreement calls for the creation of a News Transformation Fund, administered by the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, starting in 2025. The agreement also calls for the creation of a National AI Innovation Accelerator. Combined, the two funds are expected to distribute $250 million over five years – details about how much funding, beyond “the majority,” would go to newsrooms was not available. A group of journalist union representatives decried the deal for its “vague AI accelerator project that could very well destroy journalism jobs, and minimal financial commitments from Google to return the wealth this monopoly has stolen from our newsrooms.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Monterey is a very dark place now, with a lot of witchcraft.” - Hung Cao, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, speaking about Lovers Point in Pacific Grove (see Squid’s take, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Carmel residents Abbie Leeson and her husband Bruce Leeson were way ahead of the ginger trend when they began promoting the health benefits of the knobby rhizome close to 40 years ago. In 1997 they launched The Ginger People, headquartered in Marina, to sell and distribute ginger around the world – today their annual revenue is $40 million, with their ginger and turmeric products in over 23,000 retail locations in 30 countries. On Aug. 1, Abbie Leeson was named on Forbes Magazine’s 2024 “50 Over 50” list, highlighting women making a difference – she was named in the “Lifestyle” category for her role in taking ginger into the mainstream with the company’s many products, including supplements, candy, juices, marinades and more. Abbie Leeson serves as head of innovation, adding new products annually. “We’re always working on something that’s new,” she told the Weekly in 2023.

GREAT:

Great news for Monterey County pet owners. Hitchcock Road Animal Services has partnered with DocuPet, a pet licensing provider, to streamline the pet licensing process with the goal to make it easier to identify and reunite pet owners with their lost furry family members. (Pet licensing is mandatory for dogs and optional for cats.) Humans can choose and customize their pet’s tags from hundreds of options. Every tag has a dual use, which serves as the pet’s license and is equipped with the free HomeSafe® 24/7 service. “This pet licensing partnership will help to reduce the number of animals in our shelter and open up space and vital resources for pets that truly need our care. We are excited for residents to utilize this program to help protect their pets and all pets in the community.” Animal Services Administrator Cindy Burnham said.