FREE SPEECH
In November, Rolling Stone lost a defamation case over a 2014 story about a supposed gang rape case at the University of Virginia that was based on fabrications. Now, theReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is attempting to overturn a $3 million verdict against Rolling Stone. At issue: whether an editor’s note with a clarification or correction on the web constitutes a “republication” of wrong information. The jury agreed that Rolling Stone’s proper course of action would have been to remove the piece from its website – but that means less accountability for a publication and less transparency for readers when it comes to corrections. RVFP argues: “Upholding the current verdict would discourage the news media from correcting errors, or require them to fully retract stories when any question of credibility is raised. Neither choice would serve the interests of the public.”
GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK
GOOD:
It was a good week for the city of Monterey and the Presidio of Monterey. Their partnership was awarded the Army Community Partnership Award in Washington, D.C. Dec. 6. Monterey Deputy City Manager Dino Pick and Presidio Garrison Cmdr. Lawrence Brown received the award at the Pentagon. City and U.S. military officials involved in the partnership have long touted the self-described Monterey Model. In the partnership, city staff members provide both the Naval Postgraduate School and the Presidio of Monterey with road, sewer and other maintenance services. The idea is to improve efficiencies and save money for the military installation. In October, the city and the Army signed the first-ever Intergovernmental Support Agreement, that officially changed Monterey’s relationship from “contractor” to “partner.”BAD:
It’s a bad week, and a bad 2017, for local triathletes. TriCalifornia has announced recent drought conditions – namely low lake levels for its flagship Wildflower Triathlon at Lake San Antonio – have led to reduced revenues and participation. They’re putting that event, Triathlon at Pacific Grove and events in San Luis Obispo and in San Francisco on ice for a year. “We’ve never had to encounter this,” founder/director Terry Davis says. “One year of low water is not bad, but three years are very difficult. We hope to be back in 2018.”QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“They were discriminated against. The male population was their biggest hurdle.” – Maurine St. Gaudens
WHO’S IN TOWN?
A guiding principal of the West Coast Number Theory Conference is that “every idea is worth 15 minutes,” which is why nearly three dozen number theorists are in town this week to hash out new theories. Short 15-20 minutes sessions give students, doctoral candidates, researchers, retired theorists and others a chance to present and hear new theories. Additional freeform problem sessions are an opportunity to ask and answer questions about challenging equations. Prime numbers, integers, algorithms, polynomials… a whole lot of high-level computing is on the agenda. The conference was launched at the Asilomar Conference Center in 1969.
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