January 17, 2026
Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos
Thomas B. Elias, Columnist

Exit Exam Demise Cheapens High School Graduation:

The single easiest bill for California legislators to pass this year probably was Senate Bill 725, giving about 5,000 high school students the ability to graduate without taking the state’s high school exit exam, which […]

Who has the greatest Halloween decorations in Santa Monica? Could it be producer Ken Carlson and his wife

VIDEO – Brock On Your Block: Halloween:

Who has the greatest Halloween decorations in Santa Monica? Could it be producer Ken Carlson and his wife, singer Katrina Carlson and their family? Let’s find out. Phil talks with Ken Carlson about the annual […]

El Niño is characterized by unusually warm temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Pictured is the sea surface on Oct. 27

Beaches Brace For El Niño:

El Niño is coming. It’s just a matter of time. “According to experts, El Niño is too big to fail,” said Dana Murray, the Senior Coastal Policy Manager for the Santa Monica ocean initiative Heal […]

A silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa) that was relocated to Tongva Park thanks to a donation by Alliance Residential Company of a group of trees so it could build its residential development at 525 Broadway.

Transplanted Trees Alive & Well In Santa Monica:

The Lorax speaks for the trees in the fantasy world of Dr. Seuss. In the real world in Santa Monica, Urban Forester Matthew Wells is the person in charge of making sure that trees remain […]

Dr. Bruce Bennett

What Will Happen If North Korea Collapses:

North Korea is a time bomb. That was the thesis behind Dr. Bruce Bennett’s talk at the weekly Rotary of Santa Monica meeting Friday, Oct. 23. Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation […]

Santa Monica City Council gave City staff a number of directions Tuesday regarding the future long-term use objectives for the City-owned property at 4th/Colorado.

Figuring Out The Future Of 4th St./Colorado Ave.:

Anyone who’s been in the vicinity of 4th Street and Colorado Avenue has noticed an extreme amount of change in recent years with the completion of the terminus station of the Expo Light Rail Line […]