PREVIOUSLY: Fortuna City Council Member Kris Mobley Resigns as FBI Investigates Embezzlement and Theft Allegations, According to City Officials

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Fortuna city officials were aware of the FBI’s investigation into former Councilmember Kris Mobley more than two months before she resigned from the position amid allegations of theft and embezzlement. 

Mobley | Photo: City of Fortuna.

“The FBI contacted the city in mid-November,” Fortuna City Manager Amy Nilsen wrote in an emailed response to the Outpost’s request for more information. “There is no way for the City to clearly answer how or what prompted the FBI’s involvement in this particular investigation. The totality of the FBI’s investigation and details … have not been shared to this point.”

The City of Fortuna issued a press release just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday informing the community of an “ongoing FBI Investigation involving Kris Mobley,” emphasizing that the “alleged conduct under investigation pertains solely to [her] private conduct and does not involve city business.” 

Mobley submitted a letter of resignation to city officials just a few hours before the press release was issued. The emailed resignation reads as follows:

Good afternoon, 

I am submitting my resignation from City Council, effective immediately. I am sure that you are all aware of the rumors going around. Although I have not been charged with anything I am aware of the backlash that the city has been getting. This is my battle to fight not the city’s - I am sorry that you’ve been dragged into the middle of this. It’s been a pleasure working with each of you. I wish nothing but the best for the City and each of you. 

If you need to get ahold of me my new number is [REDACTED].

Sincerely, Kris Mobley

Asked whether Mobley had access to municipal funds during her two years on the city council, Nilsen emphasized that council members “do not have access to or accounts with City bank accounts and are not authorized City check signers.” Moreover, the city has “a series of checks and balances” in place to prevent fraudulent activity. “One of these checks and balances is a government-mandated independent annual audit that reviews city expenditures,” she added.

Mobley is listed as a business manager for Fortuna-based Beacom Construction Co. on her LinkedIn page, though the Outpost could not verify whether she still works for the company. A phone message and email seeking more information from Beacom’s owner, David Morris, had not been returned by publication time. A phone number listed online for Mobley was no longer in service, and she did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via Facebook Messenger.

Reached for additional comment, FBI spokesperson Cameron Polan confirmed that the FBI has an “ongoing investigation” into the allegations against Mobley but said the bureau is “unable to provide any additional details at this time.”

At next week’s regular meeting, the Fortuna City Council will discuss next steps for filling the vacant council seat. The council could make an immediate appointment, make an appointment through an application solicitation process or hold a special election. Staff will recommend the second option, Nilsen said.

The Fortuna City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, in council chambers at City Hall – 621 11th Street in Fortuna.

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PREVIOUSLY

• Attorney General Sues St. Joseph Hospital for Denying a Woman Emergency Abortion Care
• A Local Doctor Urged St. Joseph Hospital to Change Its Anti-Abortion Policies Long Before State Lawsuit, According to Court Declaration
• St. Joseph Hospital Denies Allegations in State Abortion Care Lawsuit But Agrees to Follow State Health Care Laws as the Case Proceeds
• Judge Signs Order Committing St. Joseph Hospital to Providing Emergency Abortions, At Least For the Duration of AG Lawsuit
• Citing Religious Freedom and Catholic Doctrine, St. Joseph Health Challenges State’s Emergency Abortion Care Lawsuit on a Variety of Grounds

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The California Attorney General’s Office this week filed arguments and supporting documents that push back against a recent request from the Catholic owners of St. Joseph Hospital to have Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning dismiss a state lawsuit that accuses the hospital of refusing to provide medically necessary emergency abortion services. 

In a series of filings submitted to the court on Tuesday, the Attorney General’s Office says St. Joseph Health Northern California, LLC, (SJH), a subsidiary of Providence Health & Services, openly admits that its religion-based hospital policies contradict California’s Emergency Services Law (the “ESL”), which requires hospitals to provide abortion care when needed to treat a medical emergency.

“The stakes of this could not be clearer,” the state’s latest filing says. “[H]aving acknowledged that they have, and will continue to, violate a law which requires them to adequately care for patients experiencing life threatening medical emergencies, SJH now asks this Court to condone their conduct by dismissing this action.”

Last month, an attorney representing SJH filed a series of demurrers arguing that the case should be thrown out based on a variety of procedural, jurisdictional and legal grounds, including the hospital’s constitutional rights to free exercise of religion and free expression. While neither denying nor admitting to any of the factual allegations in the state’s case, the attorney said the matter should be handled by the California Department of Public Health, rather than the courts. And he insisted that the patient in question had been discharged for medical reasons, which is allowable by law.

The case centers on the experience of Eureka chiropractor Anna Nusslock, who was pregnant with twins and bleeding heavily when she arrived at the hospital last February. Just 15 weeks pregnant, her water had broken prematurely, and doctors in St. Joseph Hospital’s emergency department told her that one of the twins would not survive and the other had almost no chance, according to medical records.

The doctors also warned Nusslock that if her pregnancy was not terminated, she could face infection, hemorrhaging and threats to her future fertility. But Providence, a not-for-profit Catholic health care system, requires staff to follow a set of “Ethical and Religious Directives” that “bars doctors from providing life-saving or stabilizing emergency treatment when doing so would terminate a pregnancy, even when the pregnancy is not viable,” according to the state’s initial complaint.

Instead of providing the necessary emergency services, St. Joseph staff discharged a still-hemorrhaging Nusslock with instructions to drive herself to Mad River Community Hospital. “On the way out the door, Providence handed Nusslock a bucket and towels ‘in case something happens in the car,’” the AG’s Office said in a news release.

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In its response to the SJH’s demurrer filing, the Attorney General’s Office says SJH intentionally discriminates against pregnant patients in violation of the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, and while the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) plays a role in enforcing the Emergency Services Law (ESL), that authority doesn’t preclude the AG from filing a lawsuit.

“The ESL represents a basic promise to all Californians: if you experience a medical emergency, a hospital will provide the care you need without regard to your ability to pay or other characteristics … ,” the AG filing states. “Yet, SJH refuses, as a matter of hospital policy, to adequately care for pregnant patients experiencing obstetric emergencies.”

The filing goes on to say that the hospital’s policy “has harmed numerous patients and threatens future patients.”

Regarding the argument that this dispute should be left to the CDPH to investigate, Bonta’s office notes that this litigation will involve issues of preemption and constitutional rights, which aren’t areas of expertise for that department.

While SJH has argued that it transferred Nusslock to Mad River Community Hospital for medical reasons, Bonta’s office says that argument “conveniently ignores” multiple paragraphs of the state’s complaint explaining that she was discharged for non-medical reasons. 

“The People … affirmatively allege that, medically speaking, SJH was fully capable of providing the treatment Anna needed,” the filing says. Turning to the matter of civil rights, Bonta’s office continues: “Put bluntly: as a matter of SJH policy, SJH denies pregnant patients, and pregnant patients alone, the recognized standard of care in medical emergencies.”

Bonta’s office also argues that neither the First Amendment nor federal conscience legislation preempt the Emergency Services Law.

“[A] law remains generally applicable so long as it does not “prohibit religious conduct while permitting secular conduct that undermines the government’s asserted interests in a similar way,” the AG’s filing says. (Emphasis in the original.)

By way of comparison, the state cites a recent Ninth Circuit case in which a public school student in San Diego challenged the district’s vaccine mandate, which allowed medical exemptions but not religious ones. The court rejected the argument that this mandate amounted to religious discrimination, explaining that “the medical exemption … serves the primary interest for imposing the mandate — protecting student ‘health and safety’ — and so does not undermine the District’s interests as a religious exemption would.”

Likewise, in this case, the ESL allows exemptions when a hospital lacks appropriate facilities and qualified personnel “while providing no comparable exemption for religious reasons,” Bonta’s office says.

The filing, which you can download below, offers more arguments against SJH’s request for dismissal while reiterating that the organization’s conduct “endangers the safety of its patients.”

A hearing to consider the demurrer is scheduled for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, at 10:30 a.m. in the Humboldt County Courthouse.

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DOCUMENTS:

• Memorandum of Points and Authorities in Support of Plaintiff the People of the State of California’s Opposition to Defendant’s Demurrer
• Plaintiff the People of the State of California’s Opposition to Defendant’s Request for Judicial Notice
• Plaintiff the People of the State of California’s Request for Judicial Notice in Support of Opposition to Defendant’s Demurrer

Party’s over, Humboldt. The unseasonable sun streak we’ve been enjoying will soon come to a wet end.

The Eureka arm of the National Weather Service notes the return of rain — between 2 to 4 inches, they estimate — beginning Thursday evening and into the beginning of next week.

Higher elevations can expect more rain as well as high winds on Thursday night. Further east, heavy snow is possible in areas higher than 3,000 feet. Bundle up, all. 

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Based upon complaints from the Garberville Business Community, Sheriff’s Deputies have been actively pursuing criminal activity in the business district. Deputies are contacting individuals for open drug use, alcohol abuse, vandalism, and other criminal activity. 

On Jan. 28, 2025, at around 9:20 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies on patrol along Redwood Dr. in Garberville observed a vehicle towing a travel trailer parked on the side of the road that appeared disabled; the deputies contacted the occupants to inquire if assistance was needed.

An adult female named Charrise Burns, 44, of Fort Bragg, was sitting in the passenger seat and stated that her husband had walked to town to find water for their overheated vehicle. The Emergency Communications Center confirmed for the deputy that Burns had a warrant issued by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office for probation violation (PC 1203.2). 

Burns was placed in handcuffs and searched incident to arrest and advised the deputies that she was in possession of drug paraphernalia. Deputies located a methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle, along with five more glass tubes containing methamphetamine residue and a plastic bag with methamphetamine wrapped in tin foil. 

Burns was then transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and booked for the following charges:

• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia—H&S 11364
• Possession of Controlled Substance— H&S 11377

The methamphetamine was tested and had a confirmed weight of 1.446 g. 

Deputies will be actively patrolling both Garberville and Redway looking for suspicious activity.   

Anyone with information about related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

If you’ve used ChatGPT to write a breakup text or figure out how to not burn the Christmas roast, you might’ve actually helped create jobs and profits in California, where the artificial intelligence tool was born.

Unfortunately you’ve probably also contributed to climate change. Artificial intelligence is an energy hog, and every query to ChatGPT is like running a lightbulb for 20 minutes, a research scientist recently told NPR.

Artificial intelligence is so wasteful, in fact, that its rapid spread could endanger California’s goal of eliminating all carbon emissions by 2045 — even as AI companies may be flooding the state treasury with tax revenue.

The conundrum has legislators considering what was once unthinkable: Bringing back nuclear power as a driver of innovation and economic growth, sort of like it was the 1960s all over again.

Some lawmakers are pushing for exemptions to the state’s 49-year-old moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants; they’re also mulling a possible future for the once-left-for-dead Diablo Canyon on the Central Coast, the state’s last operational plant whose operator, Pacific Gas & Electric, says it is prepared for the possibility of the plant staying open longer.

Those are some of the signs of a subtle shift among state legislators and agencies, who just a few years ago seemed assured in their determination to close the book on nuclear power in California. They are being encouraged by a few outside influences: Sweating their own emissions goals, the state’s Big Tech companies have begun national efforts to rejuvenate the carbon-neutral energy source. And last summer, federal lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill, signed by President Biden, to accelerate the development of nuclear reactors and new technologies.

“There have been a couple times where there’s been momentum, where people use the word ‘renaissance’” around nuclear energy, said Maureen Zawalick, PG&E vice president of business and technical services. “But nothing like it is now, where there’s bipartisan support, a significant amount of federal funding, programs and incentives.”

Democratic State Sen. Henry Stern, a member of the Senate Energy Committee and an environmental attorney, was mentored by anti-nuclear advocates/environmentalists and has been a critic of Diablo Canyon and PG&E. But he, too, believes “there’s going to be broader and broader bipartisan support to just put this stuff on the table,” he said, referencing certain forms of nuclear energy in the state.

It’s possible artificial intelligence could grow more energy efficient, reducing the need for new power plants. Energy stocks recently sold off after a Chinese company, DeepSeek, unveiled a powerful AI model it said was produced with a fraction of the resources used by its American rivals. The accuracy of those claims, and how DeepSeek might change industry practices, are hotly debated.

“There’s going to be broader and broader bipartisan support to just put this stuff on the table.”
— State Sen. Henry Stern, member of senate energy committee, environmental attorney

Even assuming AI continues to stoke demand for electricity, nuclear power remains anathema to much of the statehouse, which in the last legislative session kept a measure to partially lift the moratorium bottled up in committee. Reactors are consistent sources of energy but also incredibly expensive to build and maintain, requiring stringent regulatory oversight, staffing, and upkeep. Disposing of radioactive waste is a time-intensive process with potential environmental harms, and there are always concerns of catastrophic outcomes at nuclear facilities: reactor meltdowns, cyberattacks, and other security threats. Building new facilities in the state means lifting the moratorium and clearing not only the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission but also, a thicket of California agencies like the Public Utilities Commission, Water Resources Control Board and, depending on site location, potentially the Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission.

These are among the reasons nuclear power skeptics are dubious of a comeback. Critics similarly question the merits of an emerging, allegedly safer form of nuclear power known as small modular reactors, and whether tech companies are committed in their push for nuclear, or if they’ll lose interest once they face the inevitable headwinds.

“Nuclear is desperate to seem relevant, new, and improved,” said Sharon Squassoni, a research professor at George Washington University who specializes in the risks posed by nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. Of the use of nuclear power to power AI she added that “it’s a marriage that looks good on paper.”

Big Tech ushers in a round of nuclear hype

Renewed interest in nuclear harkens back to earlier times. President Richard Nixon once called for the construction of 1,000 nuclear reactors in the United States by the year 2000. That moonshot missed by roughly 900 reactors, and there are approximately 90 commercial reactors today.

Tech companies have signaled that they’d like to boost those numbers — and they’ve already taken steps outside of California to harness nuclear power.

Citing the need to add “carbon-free electricity and capacity in the grids where we operate,” Microsoft signed a deal in late September to eventually get one of the reactors at Three Mile Island in southeastern Pennsylvania, site of a partial meltdown in 1979, back up and running. In mid-October, Amazon and Google separately announced agreements with energy companies — one of which, Kairos Power, is based in California — that are in the business of designing small modular reactors. “The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies that are powering major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and driving national competitiveness and economic growth,” Google wrote in a statement about its deal with Kairos Power.

Meta announced in early December that it was seeking proposals from nuclear energy developers who could help in the pursuit of “AI innovation and sustainability objectives.”

Big tech’s ambitions for new plants are especially focused on small modular reactors. The idea behind the reactors is that they’d function as mini-reactors, producing up to roughly one-third of the energy as a conventional facility, but with factory-designed components that could be shipped to a predetermined location. This would, in theory, cut down on costs, allow for more flexible siting, and reduce the lengthy construction period typical for larger nuclear reactors. The International Atomic Energy Agency characterized proposed designs as simpler and safer than already-running reactors, and more recently, the Department of Energy accepted applications to help fund the design and development of these smaller reactors.

The problem is that small reactors exist more in the abstract than in reality. “They’re totally unproven. They exist basically on a computer,” said Allison Macfarlane, former chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the Obama administration. “Nuclear reactors aren’t like software or social media products. They’re not fungible in the same way…. You can’t apply the tech bro mentality to these nuclear facilities, but that is what is happening.”

“You can’t apply the tech bro mentality to these nuclear facilities, but that is what is happening.”
— Allison Macfarlane, former chair, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Squassoni released a study in April 2024 noting that, “Although they are marketed as new and advanced, small modular reactors so far feature few true innovations among the scores of designs. Quite a few are old wine in new bottles.”

Other than Microsoft’s Three Mile Island investment, and a Bill Gates-backed venture in Wyoming, it’s hard to say which other states could someday house the tech industry’s hypothetical nuclear facilities — small reactors or otherwise. California is currently one of the only states that isn’t an option.

In 1976, a California law placed a moratorium on the development of additional nuclear facility sites in the state until the federal government could come up with a permanent nuclear waste disposal plan. The moratorium was largely in response to environmentalist and anti-nuclear groups in California. Almost five decades later, the federal government still has not figured out a permanent disposal method. Nowadays, spent fuel often ends up in dry casks, which are generally considered a solid, but interim, solution for storing radioactive waste. California remains one of nine states with a nuclear energy moratorium, according to the Department of Energy. Four states have repealed their moratoriums since 2016, and Illinois recently carved out an exemption for the construction of small modular reactors.

In 2013, Southern California Edison announced it would shutter reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Diego County due to defects in new steam generators. That reduced California’s nuclear energy arsenal to just the two reactors at Diablo Canyon.

The issues at San Onofre, in addition to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, further limited California lawmakers’ appetite for nuclear energy. Diablo Canyon was scheduled to shut down beginning in 2024, but those plans have been postponed a half-decade. The site’s two remaining reactors are a vital part of California’s power grid, even more so because of environmental concerns brought about by climate change, as well as the state’s growing energy needs.

The legislators trying to spark a chain reaction in the Capitol

The world’s largest tech companies are racing to train and develop AI tools, which require immense amounts of electricity. The exact metrics, as far as total AI energy consumption is concerned, remain murky, largely because the tech industry has been murky on the subject. It’s clear, though, that tech companies are reliant on big, windowless data centers to power AI, and that these data centers are extremely energy-intensive — and prevalent in California. The Los Angeles Times reported in August that the state has at least 270 data centers, many clustered, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Silicon Valley. Tech companies have eyed dozens more data centers up and down the state, the Times reported.

Those sorts of statistics are a major concern for California lawmakers. “Tech is a new part of the equation because of data centers, AI, and all these things,” said Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover, a proponent of nuclear energy from the Sacramento suburbs. “The reality is that even before all of that, our grid was not nearly prepared for the energy demands of a clean energy future. And so I am a big believer that nuclear energy needs to be part of that conversation.”

Hoover is referring to California’s power grid and the state’s mandatory transition to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045, under a 2018 measure. California has made significant strides toward the target but scores a low D- rating for its resilience to extreme weather events and other disruptive threats, according to measurements by the nonprofit Grid Clue. Despite an ongoing shift to renewables, California is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and its grid is increasingly under peril because of wildfires, heat waves, and other weather events linked to climate change.

Diablo Canyon provides roughly 9% of the state’s electricity, which is partly why Gov. Gavin Newsom supported extending the use of its reactors to 2029 and 2030. “That struck me as a courageous decision and the right decision, and I would hope that that’s reflective of his belief to look at all different energy sources,” said Republican Assemblymember Diane Dixon, who represents Newport Beach.

Representatives for PG&E, which owns and operates Diablo Canyon, have typically adopted a defensive posture when asked about their nuclear facility and the cost overruns it routinely incurs. But the utility company is singing a different tune lately.

Zawalick, the PG&E vice president, demurred when asked if she thinks Diablo Canyon will ultimately stay open past the station’s latest deadline. “We have to be asked by the state legislators to go longer than 2030,” she said. “But we will be ready, is what I say. And we’re planning to be.” She told CalMatters she hasn’t had any “formal” conversations with tech companies about Diablo Canyon’s future.

Stern described Diablo Canyon as a “cost-suck” and “old,” adding, “if you were building new nuclear, you would not build it like Diablo Canyon.” But Stern conceded that San Onofre’s shutdown strained the state’s energy grid (it also led to more greenhouse gas production), and he’s come to accept Diablo Canyon’s role, at least for now.

Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, who represents Fresno and has co-sponsored nuclear energy legislation, also worries “about what would occur if a member of our energy portfolio was taken offline, how that would increase rates for the rest of us.” Hoover echoed Arambula’s view and said he wants Diablo Canyon to stay open indefinitely.

An opening for small modular reactors

Diablo Canyon is one (complicated) piece of the nuclear puzzle. Then there’s the separate conundrum of whether to roll back all, or some, of the state’s nuclear energy moratorium. As it stands, Republican lawmakers are the political faction that has pushed to change the moratorium. Last year, Dixon was a co-sponsor of Assembly Bill 2092, which would’ve asked the California Public Utilities Commission to conduct a feasibility studies about the possible benefits and effects of small modular reactors by the beginning of 2027. The bill never got a vote on the Assembly floor.

“It’s good to have stretch goals,” Dixon said of the state’s zero emissions target. “But we have to be mindful of the impact on the local economy, on jobs, and driving businesses out of California. I want to at least start the process to study this important possible new alternative.”

Another recent proposal, Assembly Bill 65, would’ve created a moratorium exemption for the development of small modular reactors. Hoover and Arambula were co-sponsors on AB 65, and Arambula said he hopes to introduce a similar measure in the 2025-’26 legislative session.

In April 2023, the last time lawmakers debated the bill to allow small modular reactors, Arambula was one of few Democratic politicians to publicly back pro-nuclear legislation. Los Angeles Democratic Assemblymember Rick Zbur, for instance, told his colleagues he couldn’t support the measure because, while he “used to be someone who believed that nuclear was part of the solution to a carbon-free future,” he changed his views after the 2011 nuclear power plant disaster in Japan. “I don’t think that the California public supports this,” he continued. “I don’t think that we need this to get to a carbon-free future.” (Zbur confirmed to CalMatters that his stance hasn’t changed of late.)

Other prominent Democratic politicians are beginning to sound more bullish on nuclear energy sources. Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco told CalMatters that he’s noticed “a gradual increased openness among Democrats to nuclear,” and that he thinks nuclear “should certainly be part of the conversation.” Stern, the Senate environment committee member, said he’s interested in giving consideration to some nuclear power bills.

Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco told CalMatters that he’s noticed “a gradual increased openness among Democrats to nuclear,” and that he thinks nuclear “should certainly be part of the conversation.”

Stern previously authored a law that required the California Energy Commission, in consultation with other state agencies, to write an assessment of commercially feasible energy sources. That assessment, which was released in August 2024, suggested more research and development into small modular reactors, and recommended that the legislature pass a law to exempt such reactors from the state’s nuclear moratorium.

In a statement, Newsom’s office left the door open to the possibility of small modular reactors and a nuclear moratorium exemption in California. “The Governor has always maintained an interest in new, promising technologies, including advancements in emerging nuclear power technologies, that follow strong safety, cost, and environmental considerations,” Newsom’s Deputy Director of Communications Daniel Villaseñor wrote to CalMatters.

State Sen. Josh Becker, the new chair of the Senate Energy Committee, also left the door open to nuclear technologies in California: “Climate change is an urgent crisis demanding a comprehensive and proactive response,” the Silicon Valley Democrat wrote in a statement. “To address it effectively, we must consider every viable solution.”

What happens next?

The 2025-2026 legislative session will be instructive in showing state lawmakers’ willingness to embrace nuclear energy. Any policy changes in California — followed by a hypothetical nuclear site selection process — would proceed at a slow, methodical pace, the exact opposite of how tech companies prefer to operate.

In addition to needing to get a carve out from the state’s nuclear moratorium, and approvals from various state and federal entities, nuclear plant builders could well face lawsuits and other pushback from anti-nuclear groups.

With all those factors in mind, the legislative session will also reveal whether tech companies feel emboldened to push for nuclear energy sites in California, or if they’re satisfied pursuing their energy needs in other states.

After all, just because many key AI companies are based in California doesn’t mean their data centers have to be. The recent failed bills to permit some kind of nuclear power in California were proposed shortly before tech’s fast and furious incursion into the nuclear energy space, and thus weren’t part of the industry’s 2023-24 legislative lobbying efforts. Public support and lobbying for the two bills came from a handful of relatively small pro-nuclear advocacy groups, as well as a handful of labor groups, and the Nuclear Energy Institute, a pro-nuclear trade association.

“It’s too soon to tell how serious these tech firms are about promoting nuclear energy to power their electricity needs,” Squassoni said. “It could be a fad — it could be that once they get a real whiff of the costs and time it takes to build new plants, they may back off a little bit.”

Lawmakers who spoke to CalMatters said they aren’t against tech companies joining in on broader policy debates around California’s energy grid. Hoover said tech’s nascent nuclear interest may “allow for new conversations to happen,” while Wiener characterized the industry’s involvement as a “positive thing,” so long as companies participate in expanded clean energy initiatives that aren’t exclusively nuclear.

Stern, for his part, posited that tech’s interest “certainly doesn’t hurt the zeitgeist around nuclear being a less toxic and scary thing.” He added: “There’s some other incredible tech that in a lot of cases beats nuclear from a cost perspective. But it doesn’t quite make sense to me anymore that we don’t let nuclear compete in that contest.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Ayden Gray Asher Hue Anderson-Laking
April 28, 1999 – January 20, 2025

Ayden Gray Asher Hue Anderson-Laking, 25, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, January 19, 2025, in Arcata.

Born on a cloudy Wednesday in Manassas, Virginia, Ayden was always proud of his birthplace. From an early age, he exhibited a curious spirit, great strength of character, and a fierce pride in all his efforts. He also carried a deep sense of love and empathy for those around him. He loved hard, with a whole heart. When his older brother was seriously hurt, Ayden took it as deeply as anyone. For years, he kept a watchful eye out for his brother’s safety, even to the point that it affected his brother’s ability to run and jump freely — such was Ayden’s fierce love.

Known as the A-Train from the time he played bumblebee soccer and scored ten goals in his first game of the season, Ayden brought that same energy and spirit into everything he did. Music was his greatest passion. He received his first guitar (a ½ size classical) from his dad on his fifth birthday, though it mostly served as a drum and a makeshift air guitar. At 14, his dad gave him a steel-string acoustic guitar, and this time, Ayden took to it like a fish to water. Music became his refuge, his medicine, his way of crafting a world as beautiful as the one he imagined. To listen to Ayden play was to be transported — his music could take you somewhere else entirely.

A gifted musician, Ayden played most stringed instruments, as well as the piano, but the guitar was his true love. He recorded extensively and played with extraordinary musicians who became his closest friends and adopted family. Ayden left behind a wealth of music that will continue to be cherished. A catalog of his music and a biography of his life will be coming soon to https://aydengray.net.

Ayden was also an avid reader and found deep meaning in the written word. His favorite book, Stranger in a Strange Land, spoke to both his aspirations for his own personal experience and his belief in human potential — what a person could become if given the right space to grow. He loved kind people, different cultures, and the beauty of life beyond the familiar. He spent six weeks traveling down the west coast of India, from Mumbai to Goa, to Kerala, and to India’s southernmost tip, embracing new experiences with open arms and an open heart.

A quiet believer in Jesus, Ayden lived his faith. He spent many evenings sharing his truth, but more than anything, his faith permeated his actions and gave him great hope for the life to come.

Ayden is survived by his father, Charles; his mother, Micha; his older brother, Jahkota; his older sister, Anjah; his younger sisters, Ryah and Ameriah; his younger brother, Dylan; his youngest sister, Lena; and stepmother, Stacey. He is also survived by many family members, friends, and loved ones whose lives were touched by his music, his love, and his unforgettable spirit.

A funeral service will be held at 12 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata, where Ayden’s ashes will be interred. Following the service, there will be a private Celebration of Life for family and friends, which is RSVP-only at AydenGrayMatters@gmail.com.

Additionally, a separate Celebration of Life will be held in Reno at a later date (without ashes or burial). Details for the Reno gathering will be shared as they become available.

Ayden’s music, his love, and his spirit will live on in all of us. Though his time here was far too short, he left behind a legacy of love, passion, and beauty that will never fade.

Ayden’s passing was unexpected, and we are asking for support to help cover the costs of his funeral and memorial service. The costs of honoring Ayden are mounting, and he deserves a shaded plot and a beautiful headstone for his final resting place. If you are able, please make a donation to help cover Ayden’s funeral and memorial expenses.

100% of donations will go directly to Ayden’s funeral and memorial costs.

Link.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ayden Anderson-Laking’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

The following press release was issued by Fortuna City Manager Amy Nilsen and Fortuna Police Chief Chris Day, the latter of whom tells Lisa Music of Redheaded Blackbelt that the FBI investigation pertains to charges of theft and embezzlement:

Mobley. | Photo via City of Fortuna.

The City of Fortuna is aware of an ongoing FBI investigation involving Kris Mobley, a member of the City Council who has offered her resignation to the City.

While the City remains committed to transparency, it is important to emphasize that this investigation is being conducted solely under the jurisdiction of the FBI. It is our current understanding that the alleged conduct under investigation pertains solely to Council Member Mobley’s private conduct and does not involve city business.

To ensure the investigation remains thorough and impartial, we are not in a position to comment further.

We ask for the community’s patience and understanding as the FBI continues its work. All inquiries regarding this investigation should be directed to the FBI’s field office. Any members of the public who have relevant information are encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities through official channels.

For any further inquiries, please contact the FBI’s public affairs office.

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NOTE: The Outpost has reached out to the FBI’s media office and will offer an update if and when one becomes available.