County Monterey Financial News

According to the latest computer model predictions, a substantial area is expected to receive 2-4 inches of rain within a 24-hour period across the coastal areas of Central and Southern California. This is especially concerning for the Transverse Ranges, where rainfall rates could peak at 0.75-1 inch per hour at certain intervals. The situation underscores the imminent threat of flash flooding in the region.

In Douglas Adams’ 1979 cult classic, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the narrator says dolphins are the second most intelligent creatures on Earth — after mice, and before humans. While humans live tucked away in the conceit that they’re masters of the universe, sometimes dolphins send out a correctional signal.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, is under scrutiny following the disclosure of a 2018 email from his mother, Penelope Hegseth, alleging a history of mistreatment toward women. The revelations come as Hegseth prepares for Senate confirmation hearings, which are expected to intensify focus on his character and past conduct. In the email, Penelope Hegseth expressed deep disappointment in her son’s actions, stating, “You are an abuser of women—that is the ugly truth...I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man.” She criticized his treatment of his second wife, Samantha, during their contentious divorce, accusing him of labeling her “unstable” for his advantage. Penelope later apologized for the email, explaining in a phone interview with The New York Times that her comments were made in anger during a difficult period for her son. Defending Pete, she stated, “It is not true. It has never been true. He is a good father, husband.” She also criticized the publication of her email, calling it “disgusting.”

Donald Trump's most controversial cabinet picks just became even more so: Pete Hegseth, tapped for defense secretary earlier this week, was accused of sexual assault in 2017, according to police. No charges were filed in the case, but shocked Trump transition team officials are nonetheless reportedly weighing next steps for the Fox News host, whose nomination took many in Washington by surprise. President-elect Trump nominated the 44-year-old National Guard veteran on Tuesday to run the world's most powerful military, despite having never managed a large organization.

Northern California, resulting in the death of 81 animals, has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and other charges. Vicente Arroyo, 39, appeared in court Thursday after his arrest by Monterey County Sheriff deputies. The animals, including miniature horses, goats, and chickens, were housed in pens and cages in Prunedale. Monterey County Sheriff Commander Andres Rosas described the scene as traumatic. «I went out there, and it was a pretty traumatic scene. These were people’s pets,» he said. The animals belonged to an individual who rented the lot and the owner of the property. Arroyo allegedly used several weapons to shoot the animals. Court records indicate that Arroyo is charged with killing 14 goats, nine chickens, seven ducks, five rabbits, a guinea pig, and 33 parakeets and cockatiels. Additionally, he is charged with killing a pony named Lucky and two miniature horses named Estrella and Princessa, according to KSBW-TV.

The Fountain, produced by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel, about a man searching for everlasting youth, had this chilling dialogue: “Death is a disease, it’s like any other. And there’s a cure. A cure—and I will find it." No other words are more apt than this film dialogue to describe this moment in human endeavour when Death is the unparalleled villain.

CERT-In) has issued a severe warning regarding critical vulnerabilities in Apple products. The advisory, dated August 2, flags high-risk security issues across various Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other products.

Former Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig reacts to Jerome Powell saying the Fed is not ready to start cutting rates on 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast.'

Former Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig reacts to Jerome Powell saying the Fed is not ready to start cutting rates on 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast.'

Former Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig reacts to Jerome Powell saying the Fed is not ready to start cutting rates on 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast.'

MacroMavens President Stephanie Pomboy provides her expectations for the economy, the impact of inflation on the consumer and the 4Q GDP read.

Former Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig reacts to Jerome Powell saying the Fed is not ready to start cutting rates on 'Cavuto: Coast to Coast.'

U.S. Bank Wealth Management senior vice president Lisa Erickson looks ahead to this week's retail earnings and Fed Chair Powell's testimony on Capitol Hill.

A California court has dismissed a lawsuit from a group of fishermen against a conservation group that added New England lobster to its list of seafood to avoid

BNY Mellon Wealth Management head of equities Alicia Levine and Simplify Asset Management chief strategist Mike Green discuss whether the Fed's inflation strategy is working on 'Making Money.'

UBS managing director and senior portfolio manager Jason Katz discusses whether it's too early for the Fed to cut interest rates on 'Varney & Co.'

FreedomWorks senior economist Steve Moore provides insight on the state of the economy on 'Making Money.'

SANTA CRUZ: There never used to be young great white sharks basking off the busy beaches of central California, but as climate change starts to bite, warmer waters are enticing them north — with possibly catastrophic consequences for a whole ecosystem. Despite their fearsome reputation, brought about in part by the "Jaws" movie franchise, the main risk from these predators is not to swimmers and surfers — or even the local police chief — but to otters. «What we've been finding is that over time the number of bites on sea otters has increased in this region drastically,» says marine ecologist Salvador Jorgensen of California State University Monterey Bay. «That's having a real impact on the sea otter population.» And — in an illustration of how interconnected ecosystems are — that could have far-reaching consequences for all kinds of species in this wildlife-rich area. Great white sharks are some of the most majestic, most studied, and most feared of ocean dwellers. Growing to around 16 feet (4.9 meters), they roam the world's seas thousands of feet deep to satisfy a voracious appetite for seals, sea lions and dolphins. They live for upwards of 70 years and give birth to litters of live pups, who are left to fend for themselves from an early age. But because white sharks are endotherms — warm-bodied, like mammals — youngsters are vulnerable to the cold of the ocean depths, and spend their time in warmer pockets of water in coastal regions. Until a decade or so ago, that meant juveniles would only be found as far north as southern California. But, says Jorgensen, that's changing. «We documented the sudden occurrence of much smaller sharks than had ever been seen here before,» he told AFP in Monterey Bay,

TikToker Tasmin Dhaliwal shares the story behind her viral video where she fills up on Costco samples on ‘Varney & Co.’

Among the few feel-good developments during the pandemic was the remarkable rate at which Americans brought pets into their homes, emptying cages at animal shelters. Even better was how the trend appeared to survive—at least until now. This summer, facilities in many parts of the country face severe overcrowding, prompting pleas for pet adoptions to avoid the need to euthanize healthy animals.

Though the sight of an otter sunbathing on a surfboard is undoubtedly adorable, one “aggressive” surfboard-snatching sea otter in California is harassing swimmers and causing a nuisance.