The Buzz 11.13.25

FREE SPEECH

Two BBC executives resigned Nov. 9 over accusations that Britain’s national broadcaster edited a Jan. 6, 2021 speech by President Donald Trump in a misleading way. BBC aired the speech as part of a series in 2024, splicing together three quotes from Trump that suggested his supporters march with him and “fight like hell,” before they stormed the Capitol. The edits cut out a section where Trump said he wanted them to demonstrate peacefully. The issue came to light after the Daily Telegraph recently published a report by a BBC adviser, which mentioned how the speech was spliced together. “Our journalists are hardworking people who strive for impartiality, and I will stand by their journalism,” said BBC news chief Deborah Turness, who resigned along with Director-General Tim Davie. “There is no institutional bias. Mistakes are made, but there’s no institutional bias.” In a statement, BBC chair Samir Shah said, “The way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.” While BBC has apologized to Trump, the president has threatened a $1 billion lawsuit against the broadcaster.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Everything costs more money nowadays.” -Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Andres Rosas, speaking about the budget cuts that have led to closing two substation offices to lobby services (see story, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

In May, Monterey Skates opened a pop-up roller rink arena at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, filling a void that opened following the closures of local rinks in recent years. It has only been operating for one weekend per month, but as it turns out, that has not been enough: Organizers quickly realized that demand among local skating enthusiasts is strong. Starting this month, Monterey Skates is now operating twice a month, with the next dates taking place Nov. 21-23. Max Troyer, who launched Monterey Skates with Morgan Goyette, called the growth of the rink’s schedule a “huge win for the skating community.” Monterey Skates also operates an adults-only skating event monthly with local DJ Alex Ramirez spinning tunes, drawing up to 150 skaters each time, from as far as Santa Cruz and San Jose. The pop-ups include skating lessons for kids and adults.

GREAT:

How do we destigmatize mental health services for young people? Ask young people. That’s the premise of the Mindshift project led by The Village Project, funded with a $1 million state grant to spread the word. Their 25-by-25 campaign features a series of 25 banners that will help share the message “Break The Stigma, Not Your Vibe,” and the first of those banners was hung at Los Arboles Middle School in Marina on Nov. 7; expect to see two wraps on Monterey-Salinas Transit buses in the coming days, then all 25 at various points around town by Dec. 1, with a photo of the youth ambassadors who designed the campaign themselves. Los Arboles Principal Leland Hansen and Marina Mayor Bruce Delgado joined The Village Project’s co-founder Mel Mason, Community Outreach Coordinator Audrey Alonso and Project Director Ayo Banjo to hang the banner.