4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH The Federal Communications Commission ordered early license reviews for eight ABCowned stations a day after President Donald Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s firing in April. The FCC is also investigating ABC’s The View after claiming it is subject to the federal “equal-time rule,” as the show regularly questions the actions of the Trump administration. The Disney-owned company is asking its viewers to show their support for the station and the show, airing an ad urging supporters to write in through a public comment period that ends July 29. Tens of thousands of viewers have submitted comments since the ads began. “The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 30 years,” an ad airing during the talk show stated. “Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show.” FCC Chair Brendan Carr called it a “campaign of misinformation” and vowed the agency will “apply the law” during its investigation. Good: Taylor Farms, the Salinas-based producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables, has awarded $575,000 in scholarships to students across Monterey County this year. The $7 billion company launched its scholarship program in 2008, and since then, it has awarded $5.3 million in funds. Each scholarship is valued at around $7,500 with recipients eligible to renew their award for up to four years. In 2026, the program awarded 32 scholarships, including 20 to support students pursuing degrees at universities, nine to encourage academic and career development at junior colleges and trade schools, and three to support Taylor Farms team members in advancing their education goals. The Taylor Farms annual scholarship application and award process is administered in partnership with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. GREAT: It’s a great week for the Ohlone/ Costanoan-Esselen Nation (OCEN), which is receiving 84 acres of ancestral homeland from the Big Sur Land Trust “in a landmark act of conservation, partnership and restorative justice,” BSLT announced on Monday, June 29. The land is located along the south side of Highway 68 near Del Rey Creek, across from Monterey Regional Airport. The nonprofit acquired the land in 2024. “Today is about much more than land conservation. It is about respect, relationship, healing and the recognition that Indigenous peoples have been the original stewards of these lands for thousands of years,” said Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis, president and CEO. OCEN has been working with BSLT for 16 years, noted Louise J. Miranda Ramirez, the tribal chairwoman. They intend to use the land to educate the community about their culture, language and history. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how many of the 218,662 eligible voters cast a ballot in the June 2026 primary election. It is a slight improvement over the previous primary in 2022, when only 31 percent voted. Source: Monterey County Elections Department 38.5 percent QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The atmosphere, all the fans chanting for the team, was amazing.” -Jonathan Torres Contreras, 14, who was among a group of seven teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County to attend a World Cup game in Santa Clara (see story, montereycountynow.com/newsletter).
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