The recent Palisades Fire is profoundly impacting the people of Los Angeles, displacing families, destroying property, and creating an enduring sense of loss and vulnerability. As the community comes together to heal, it is also […]

You know, sometimes you walk by a building and think, that place has some stories to tell. What if those stories weren’t just about the people who lived or worked there, but about the building […]

Since Giving Tuesday I’m sure you have been bombarded with appeals from countless organizations, local, national, or even international that are doing exceptionally valuable work that enhance the public good. It’s sometimes hard to select […]

The city is facing a financial crisis, the roots of which stretch back decades but have been made worse by the pandemic’s budgetary strains. Years of mismanagement, skyrocketing pension obligations, and over $220 million in […]

About nine years ago, a fifth-floor balcony in a Berkeley apartment building collapsed, tragically killing several students gathered on it and injuring others. Investigations suggested that poor construction and maintenance, especially problems with waterproofing that […]

On December 10, the new City council will be seated fresh from their dominant win in the recent elections. There are surprising parallels between the national elections where MAGA swept the board and the Santa […]

As we write this, the election results are still trickling in. We’ll leave the deep analysis to others, but the reality of our city’s tough challenges looms large, regardless of who sits on the Council. […]

Despite living in a famously progressive region, Santa Monicans are not immune from the same political misinformation and disinformation that afflicts civil discourse elsewhere in the United States. As backers of Measure QS, we feel […]

S.M.a.r.t. periodically invites guest columnists to write opinion articles on topics of particular interests to our readers. Below is an article written by Nikki Kolhoff about the controversial ½ billion dollar Santa Monica School District […]