Establishment Slate Solidifies Lead
November 6, 2024 -- The political establishment-backeed slate vying to regain control of the City Council solidified its early lead Wednesday morning holding the top spots in the race for four open seats.

EXTRA -- Establishment Slate Holds Early Lead in Council Race
November 5, 2024 -- Early voting results released by the County Registrar's Office shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday show Santa Monica's establishment-backed slate sweeping the four open City Council seats.

Poll Shows Strong Local Support for Prop 36
November 5, 2024 -- A monthly poll of Santa Monica residents found overwhelming support for a statewide measure to roll back criminal justice reforms strongly supported by local voters a decade ago.

Most Local Voters Haven't Returned Ballots
November 4, 2024 -- At the start of Election Day Tuesday, 59 percent of Santa Monica voters had not returned ballots, according to PDI, a California election data service.

Santa Monica Rents Dipped Last Month
November 4, 2024 -- Santa Monica rents remained relatively flat in October, dipping by -0.2 percent to a current median rent of $2,440 per month, according to Apartment List's monthly report.

OPINION -- Hate Mail Result of Political Attack
It is irresponsible for elected officials to sow division with false accusations and incendiary rhetoric and it places myself and my family in danger, writes Councilmember Oscar de la Torre.

LETTERS -- Local Leaders Make Modest Donations
Local leaders make modest donations to an advocacy group devoted to excellent public schools and that’s supposed to reveal a conspiracy? Really? writes former Mayor Kevin McKeown.

City Prepares to Rebuild Pier Bridge
November 1, 2024 -- After more than a decade of planning and delays, the City is taking the initial steps to begin replacing the Santa Monica Pier bridge that has been standing since the start of World War II.

LETTERS -- Deceptive Marketing On Measure QS
November 1, 2024 -- Financial and ineffective controls exist in the way school bonds are written and the money is managed.

Ice Returns to Santa Monica
November 1, 2024 -- Those who long for a winter wonderland in Southern California will have their wish granted when "Ice at Santa Monica" returns Downtown this month.

Behind the Efforts to Unseat de la Torre
October 31, 2024 -- (UPDATED) Santa Monica's political establishment is mounting a concerted last-ditch effort to take down Councilmember Oscar de la Torre and regain control of the City Council.

Council Race Shatters Finance Record
October 30, 2024 -- As the Santa Monica race for City Council entered the homestretch, PACs and the candidates they support had spent a record $1.4 million -- or some $20 per registered voter.

LETTERS -- Vote Yes on QS
October 30, 2024 -- I doubt there are many school districts anywhere that have as much public input, oversight and citizen’s review as SMMUSD, writes Bond Oversight Committee Chair Michael Dubin.

Santa Monica Celebrates Dodgers Win
October 30, 2024 -- The Los Angeles Dodgers mounted a record comeback against the New York Yankees to clinch the World Series Wednesday night, and Santa Monica's Pacific Park joined in with a glowing celebration.

Sex-Related Offenses Continue
October 29, 2024 -- A homeless man was arrested last week for sexually assaulting a woman inside an illegal tent on the beach, according to the police department's weekly blog.

LETTERS --SB10 is Bad for Santa Monica
I am responding to Kevin McKeown’s October 25, 2024 letter “What Is the Scary SB10 Flyer Really About?”. Before we get into the misdirection, misinformation and obfuscation included in Mr. McKeown’s letter, a bit of background.

City Opens New Dog Run
October 29, 2024 -- The Big Blue Bus will host a kick-off party next month for a new off-leash dog run in an underutilized area next to its headquarters at the southern edge of Downtown.

Homeless Fugitive Charged in Stabbing
October 28, 2024 -- A homeless fugitive from Florida has been charged in the stabbing this month of a homeless man from Kentucky, police officials said Monday.

OPINION -- Vote No on the School Bond
October 28, 2024 -- The School Board majority likes new projects and shiny things they can brag about. Never have they conducted a postmortem to hear from the community what worked and what didn’t.

LETTERS -- Single Family Neighborhoods Could Face the Wrecking Ball
October 28, 2024 -- History suggests that the entrenched powers want to destroy single-family neighborhoods in Santa Monica -- and implementing SB10 might be their best chance yet to do it.

SMC's Corsair Wins Top Awards
October 28, 2024 -- Santa Monica College's (SMC) student-run media outlet The Corsair took home 27 regional awards this month, with photojournalist Danilo Perez finishing first in three major categories.

Council Changes Zoning Rules for Downtown
October 25, 2024 -- The City Council Tuesday night paved the way for a more dynamic Downtown by unanimously approving updates to the City's zoning rules to allow everything from animated signs to game arcades.

OPINION -- What Is the Scary SB10 Flyer Really About?
October 25, 2024 -- Do we believe in affirmatively furthering fair housing? A vote to ignore SB10 is a vote to perpetuate housing inequity, writes former Mayor Kevin McKeown.

Council Votes to Back Prop 36
October 24, 2024 -- After a brief but spirited debate on crime and punishment, the City Council voted 4 to 3 Tuesday night to endorse a statewide measure that cracks down on repeat offenders.

Big Blue Bus Gets $53.3 Million
October 24, 2024 -- Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus (BBB) received a $53.3 million State grant to improve service, electrify its fleet and develop its workforce, City officials announced Thursday.

Council Debates Anti-Semitic Allegation
October 23, 2024 -- A transcript of comments made at Tuesday's City Council meeting highlight the rift over allegations leveled shortly before the November 5 race for control of the City Council.

LETTERS -- Let Us Be Truthful with Ourselves and One Another
October 23, 2024 -- In my experience, it would be entirely out of character for the Oscar de la Torre I know to express hurtful comments, writes Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels.

EXTRA -- City Council Meltdown
October 23, 2024 -- Tuesday night's City Council meeting quickly devolved into a political fracas after Councilmember Oscar de la Torre's most vocal critics attacked him for comments he allegedly made in 2019 that had been dredged up shortly before Election Day.

Police Seek Suspect in Downtown Assault
October 22, 2024 -- The Police Department on Tuesday released the video of a suspect fleeing after he allegedly assaulted a women in a Downtown Alley last month.

Ragtag Army Takes on School Bond
October 21, 2024 -- A small group of volunteers with little money seems to be gaining traction as it takes on a record $495 million Santa Monica school bond measure backed by $400,000 in donations.

Stargazing at the SMC Planetarium
October 21, 2024 -- Stargazers can prepare to look at the sky with different eyes at two featured shows at the Santa Monica College (SMC) planetarium next month.

LETTERS -- Unaffordable End to Single-Family Homes
October 21, 2024 -- Senate Bill 10 is designed to ensure "market forces" will replace single-family homes with dense multi-family buildings and decimate neighborhoods.

Homeless Woman Run Over, Killed on Beach
October 18, 2024 -- A suspected DUI driver reportedly making circles on the beach at high speeds ran over and killed a homeless woman sleeping on the sand late Thursday night, according to police.

Homeowners Try to Get Out Urgent Message
October 18, 2024 -- A small army of volunteers from the Northeast and Sunset Park neighborhoods has been busy blanketing their single family areas with an urgent message.

Campaign Fundraising War Deadlocked
October 17, 2024 -- The political faction backing an incumbent-led slate for City Council erased a fundraising gap, while the candidates received the backing of two neighborhood groups this month.

LETTERS -- Rent Control Will Never Be at Risk
October 17, 2024 -- The Rent Control Law is in Article XVIII of the City Charter. It was established April 10, 1979. It can only be amended by a vote of the people.

LETTERS -- SMRR's Lies and Smear Tactics
October 17, 2024 -- SMRR has become more focused on being a political power broker, willing to smear and lie with endless attack mailers against anyone who doesn’t receive their endorsement.

SMC Employee Shot Dies from Injuries
October 16, 2024 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) employee Felicia Hudson, who was shot Monday night by a co-worker at the School's Center for Media & Design, has died.

SMC Shooting Suspect Found Dead
October 16, 2024 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) employee who fatally shot a fellow worker on campus Monday night killed himself during a standoff with police in El Segundo Tuesday afternoon, police officials said.

Santa Monica Prepares for Elections
October 15, 2024 -- The Santa Monica Police Department is "taking proactive measures" to safeguard the voting process, while the Big Blue Bus (BBB) will offer free rides on Election Day.

SMC Closed After Shooting Monday Night
October 15, 2024 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) and Olympic High School were closed Tuesday after a college employee was shot late Monday night at the College's Center for Media and Design.

LETTERS -- Anti-Renter Politics
October 15, 2024 -- The principle of rent control is in our City Charter, but enforcement and implementation are very much under City Council influence, writes former Mayor Kevin McKeown.

Santa Monica Kicks off Tech Week
October 11, 2024 -- LA Tech Week will kick off in Santa Monica Monday with an Innovation Hub Street Fair that will close down a stretch of Ocean Avenue Downtown and an adjacent portion of Palisades Park.

LETTERS -- Establishment Engaged in Panic Peddling
October 11, 2024 -- In recent weeks, texts, robo calls and door-to-door campaigners have been alarming renters with false messages about the demise of rent control.

$1 Million Per Unit Affordable Project Takes Next Step
October 10, 2024 -- A $1 million per unit affordable housing project took another step forward on Tuesday when the City Council authorized a Development and Disposition Agreement for the prime City owned land Downtown.

4 Traffic Collisions in 3 Days Injure 2
October 10, 2024 -- Four traffic collisions in the span of three days last week resulted in two serious injuries that sent the victims to the hospital, according to police.

City to Continue Olympic Negotiations
October 9, 2024 -- Santa Monica will continue negotiating an agreement to host volley ball at the 2028 Summer Olympics but needs to get specific answers to pressing questions.

Plane Returning to SM Crashes, 5 Dead
October 9, 2024 -- Five people died when a small place returning to Santa Monica Airport crashed shortly after taking off from Catalina Island Tuesday night, according to the FAA and LA County Sheriff's Department.

LETTERS -- Dem Club Candidates' Open Hypocrisy on Fighting Crime
October 9, 2024 -- The facts show voters are correct in concluding candidates who support DA George Gascon’s criminal-friendly policies would weaken public safety in Santa Monica.

Suspect Stabbed Officer With Stolen Knife
October 8, 2024 -- The man who stabbed a Santa Monica police officer Saturday before being fatally shot used a knife he stole from a local store minutes earlier, police said Tuesday.

Poll Takes Pulse on Council Race
October 8, 2024 -- A monthly poll of Santa Monica residents concerned with crime found that about half support the two pro-law enforcement incumbents, while many still remain undecided.

LETTERS -- The Puritans Jeopardize Public Safety
October 8, 2024 -- City officials are enabling addicts under the absurd premise that they are ‘saving’ lives of drug users by distributing ‘clean’ paraphernalia.

County Voting Officials Make Ballot Error
October 7, 2024 -- The LA County Registrar has erroneously included separate bond measures for Santa Monica and Malibu on the November 5 ballots for both cities, School District officials said Monday.

Stabbed Officer Recovering
October 7, 2024 -- An officer stabbed outside police headquarters Saturday is recovering, while the incident that led to the fatal shooting of his assailant is being investigated, Police officials said Monday..

EXTRA! -- Officer Fatally Shoots Attacker
October 5, 2024 -- A Santa Monica police officer was wounded in a knife attack outside the Public Safety building late Saturday afternoon before fatally shooting his assailant, according to police.

Council Weighs Hosting Olympic Volleyball
October 4, 2024 -- The City Council on Tuesday will weigh "the benefits" and "honor" of hosting volleyball events at the 2028 Summer Olympics and the risk of losing $12.1 million.

City Gets Grant to Fight Illegal Alcohol Use
October 3, 2024 -- Santa Monica police will have more resources to combat "alcohol-related harm" in the city after receiving an $80,229 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

Council Could Curb Discussion Items
October 2, 2024 -- The City Council on Tuesday will once again vote on a measure to curb the number of items its members place on the agenda, which have increasingly focused on major policy issues.

SMC Exhibits Works by Black LA Artists
October 2, 2024 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) will host an exhibition showcasing works by Black artists from the Los Angeles area that expresses their connection to the past.

Michigan Man Found Guilty in 2022 Murder
October 1, 2024 -- A man from Dearborn, Michigan was convicted this month of murdering a fellow hometown resident two years ago in a parking lot on the beach in Santa Monica.

LETTERS --For Densification Vote SMRR
October 1, 2024 -- It’s beyond ironic that former Mayor Kevin McKeown, who abruptly resigned rather than take a position on the draft Housing Element, now blames Council members de la Torre and Brock for the mess that ensued.