4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 30-AUGUST 5, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery is going to trial, putting the fate of two of the nation’s largest news and entertainment organizations in a holding pattern. In mid-July, a dozen states, including California, sued Paramount to block the company from merging with Warner Bros., citing antitrust violations. On July 24, Paramount agreed to postpone its merger and bypass various legal battles to go straight to trial, believing it would be the quickest route to finishing the deal. A trial date is yet to be determined, but could be sometime next year. If the deal dies, Paramount must pay Warner Bros. $7 billion, along with other payments to shareholders for every quarter it is delayed. Critics say the merger is bad news for the Warner Bros.-owned CNN, which often draws the ire of President Donald Trump, as Paramount is controlled by father-son duo Larry and David Ellison, two steadfast supporters of Trump. The younger Ellison said in a recent interview that CNN’s editorial independence “needs to be maintained.” Good: Good news for music and its ability to uplift communities comes in the form of a new nonprofit, Guitars United, that offers free music education for youth. The group launched in 2025, continuing the work of the former local chapter of Guitars Not Guns that dissolved local operations last year. Now, Guitars United is in full swing with classes at the Boys & Girls Clubs in Seaside, the Marina Teen Center, the Monterey County Youth Center (at Juvenile Hall) in Salinas and more. Rising musicians get a guitar and lessons and are celebrating graduations from July 29-Aug. 15. A graduation at 9:30am on Monday, Aug. 3 at the Castro Plaza Child and Family Resource Center in Castroville features performances by 13 students. It also marks a new chapter in partnerships, celebrating a class run in collaboration with the Monterey Jazz Festival and North County Unified School District. GREAT: Big Sur Health Center welcomed a new full-time physician this week as it works to expand health care access in the rural community. Jessica de Jarnette has practiced emergency medicine around the world, as well as a primary care physician in San Francisco. She also published research on topics such as climate-related mental health. She joins Sundeep Gupta, who started parttime as the medical director in February. He worked for 14 years leading global health initiatives throughout Central America and Sub-Saharan Africa. He returned to Monterey County in 2020 and has provided primary care through Monterey County Health Department and Natividad clinics. “Both physicians bring exceptional experience, a deep commitment to community health and a genuine passion for caring for patients,” said Kathie Lester, executive director of the nonprofit Big Sur Health Center. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Top of the salary range listed in a job ad for the CEO of county hospital Natividad, a position that is currently recruiting. The bottom of the range is $439,452. Source: Caldwell Partners $599,869 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The problems we’ve had are due to social media.” -Sheriff Tina Nieto, speaking about the rise of influencers and “young enthusiasts” causing issues during Car Week (see story, montereycountynow.com/ newsletter).
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