October 18, 2026
October 18, 2026
Does Ilhan Omar have a clitoris? The genitalia of public figures are not usually available. But on a statistical basis, the answer is probably not. She has supported national legislation, passed by Congress twice, to ban the practice, which has a 98% prevalence in Somalia. Prevalence data (Somalia) Nationally representative surveys place FGM prevalence among girls and women aged 15–49 in Somalia at approximately 99% (99.2% in the most commonly cited recent figure from the...
A 16-month-old toddler was injured in an encounter with a coyote in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday, prompting wildlife officials to euthanize an animal found nearby, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The incident occurred in the 3300 block of Glenhurst Avenue. Officials have not released details about how the child was injured, describing it only as "an incident involving a coyote." The toddler was taken to a hospital for...
The 143-year-old Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) of Limoges, a listed historic monument in central France, was largely destroyed by fire on the evening of Saturday, October 17, 2026, during nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and the state of public services. Local officials described the loss as a "catastrophe for heritage." The building, designed by architect Charles-Alfred Leclerc and inaugurated on July 14, 1883, features a Neo-Renaissance and Louis XIII-style...
SANTA MONICA - City staff presented a one-year accounting of the Realignment Plan to the City Council this week, citing lower crime figures, reduced commercial vacancies, and a smaller-than-budgeted draw on reserves. The numbers come from the city's own tracking system and were not independently verified in the staff report. The council adopted the plan on October 28, 2025, when staff projected a $29.6 million structural deficit. Of 179 activities listed in the plan, staff...
Outside laboratory tests have allegedly detected E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria on tables and keyboards at the Santa Monica Public Library, according to a report commissioned by the Santa Monica Coalition, prompting critics to renew claims that the facility functions more as a de facto shelter than a traditional library. Fox 11 News reported that the tests found the bacteria on public surfaces. John Alle and the Santa Monica Coalition have linked the alleged results to...
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles County jury on Oct. 6 convicted Lebaron Anthony Alexander Jr., a well-known pimp, of sex trafficking nine women-two of them minors-between 2016 and 2020 across Los Angeles County and other parts of Southern California. The 41-year-old, whose date of birth is listed as Nov. 23, 1984, faces a maximum sentence of 84 years in prison. In case BA484835, Alexander was found guilty of three counts of human trafficking of an adult, three counts of...
SANTA MONICA, 10.14.26 - The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Santa Monica mountain areas as strong Santa Ana winds and very low humidity create elevated wildfire conditions, with Southern California Edison warning of possible power shutoffs in parts of nearby Malibu. Forecasters said gusts could reach 70 mph with single-digit humidity levels, conditions expected to support extreme fire behavior. The warning applies to mountain and foothill zones...
SANTA MONICA - A 1959 Googie-style diner long associated with the western end of Route 66 is the subject of a preliminary redevelopment application and a concurrent bid for historic landmark status, setting up a potential conflict between housing construction and preservation. ValueRock Realty has filed a preliminary application under Senate Bill 330 to replace the building at 1670 Lincoln Boulevard-currently occupied by Mel's Drive-In and formerly known as the Penguin Coffee...
Sunset Boulevard is partially closed west of Allenford Avenue after a water main leak forced Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews to set up a multi-day repair zone in the Brentwood area. The leak, located at approximately 13316 West Sunset Boulevard on the Westgate Trunkline, was first reported Friday afternoon. By Saturday evening, all eastbound lanes and one westbound lane between Allenford Avenue and Mandeville Canyon Road were closed to accommodate excavation...
Updated story (based on reporting as of October 13, 2026): Federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a judicially authorized search warrant early Monday, October 12, 2026, at the Washington-area residence of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). The Department of Justice confirmed the action was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Agents were observed removing boxes, including some labeled "Seized Property Evidence." Federal crime(s) authorities...
Update 2:22 pm PST: LAPD has confirmed the incident at Milken Community School was a hoax.According to ABC7, a call about a supposed active shooter around 1 p.m. at the school on Zeldins Way triggered a lockdown and a large police response. When officers arrived, no threat was found. LAPD described it as an apparent swatting call (a fake emergency report to 911). The school is a private Jewish middle and high school in the Brentwood/Bel Air area. Earlier social media reports...
A man in his twenties died after climbing from a raised visitor walkway into the Amur tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday 10 October 2026, South Yorkshire Police confirmed. Emergency services were called at about 1.35pm after reports that he had entered the enclosure. Two ambulances, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and a doctor attended, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been informed and is being supported by specialist...
Los Angeles, Oct. 13, 2026 - A suspected arson fire broke out on South Hope Street in Downtown Los Angeles early Tuesday, prompting a large response from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), according to a report posted by local resident @Stellaaa on X.com. @Stellaaa first noted smelling smoke and hearing numerous sirens around 3:05 a.m., then followed up minutes later with video of the scene, describing a "massive LAFD response" to what she characterized as another...
ORANGE COUNTY, 10.12.2026. — Southbound Pacific Coast Highway has been reduced to one lane in northern Laguna Beach as emergency work addresses coastal erosion linked to high surf and elevated tides from Tropical Storm Rachel, according to traffic monitoring data. The restriction runs from Irvine Cove to Reef Point Drive, an area adjacent to Crystal Cove State Park at the northern edge of Laguna Beach and between Corona del Mar and central Laguna Beach. California State...
STOCKHOLM - A short social media video circulating in October 2026 has drawn attention and humorous commentary online after users observed a blonde woman in a blue off-shoulder dress appearing to struggle through an energetic stage performance whose gestures closely resembled those of a Swedish Sign Language interpreter working alongside the explicit American rap song "Throat Baby (Go Baby)." The track, by Atlanta rapper BRS Kash (real name Kenneth Duncan), was originally...
