Santa Monica and Malibu face challenges as county officials recommend against school district separation. Meanwhile, Santa Monica approves downtown zoning changes to aid recovery while several businesses close and new developments advance.
Santa Monica is facing a structural deficit requiring $33.2 million from General Fund reserves over five years despite new taxes. The city is grappling with legal settlements, declining tourism, and reduced daytime population while council considers drastic measures.
Santa Monica and Malibu continue recovering from the Palisades Fire with PCH reopening after a month-long closure. Residents express concerns about debris storage sites while local businesses struggle with economic impacts despite avoiding physical damage.
2025 began with a catastrophic disaster as the Palisades Fire ravaged Los Angeles, destroying over 6,800 structures and killing at least 12 people. Santa Monica residents faced evacuations, toxic contamination concerns, and began the long process of recovery.
Longtime Santa Monica resident Amnon Kabatchnik has released the latest volume in his award-winning series, 'Bloody Broadway: Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery,' examining 79 crime-focused Broadway plays from 1900-1930.
City Manager Oliver Chi has appointed Darrick Jacob as Santa Monica's next chief of police. Jacob, who has served with SMPD since 2004 and as acting chief since August 2025, is the first internal candidate selected for the position in over 40 years.
The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California.
The Department of Interior on Wednesday said
In 2025, during volunteer work at Santa Monica Home & Care, two residents with dementia and a longtime caregiver were interviewed to understand how memory loss affects daily life. Through
As Americans gather for Thanksgiving, surveys reveal a nation overwhelmingly grateful for personal blessings while harboring deep unease about broader economic and social challenges facing the country.
An overwhelming 91%
Some of the red ink in California’s budget deficit is coming from unplanned spending in state prisons, according to a new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The
The man accused of sparking the deadly wildfire that ripped through a Los Angeles neighborhood in January must remain jailed while he awaits trial, a judge ruled this week.
Federal
Mayor Karen Bass has called on banks and mortgage servicers to extend mortgage payment relief for homeowners recovering from the January wildfires, proposing three additional years beyond the one year
