Week of November 6, 2024
Week of November 6, 2024
Counsel On the Council Santa Monica City Council has a new majority, consisting of two incumbents plus newcomers Dan Hall, Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya, and Ellis Raskin. All were endorsed by SMRR, and by the local Democratic Club. None were endorsed by the police or fire fighters unions, who preferred defeated incumbents Phil Brock and Oscar de la Torre. So what happens now? What do they really want? What changes will the newcomers make in your lives as Santa Monica residents?I...
California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling a special legislative session to proactively counter proposed policies from Donald Trump before Trump's inauguration. Newsom's team states the session will aim to "protect California values, including fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, immigrant families, and more," though specific details are yet to come. The move, announced just a day after Trump's decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential...
State results based on ( 24,811 of 24,811 ) precincts partially reporting as of November 7, 2024, 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles County results as of November 7, 4:34 pm, unknown percent of votes processed California State Measures Proposition 2 Bonds for public schools and colleges Yes 57.0% Proposition 3 Constitutional right to marriage Yes 61.3% Proposition 4 Bonds for climate risks Yes 58.1% Proposition 5 Allows 55% vote to pass bonds for affordable housing No 56.2% Proposition 6 Eliminates forcing...
11.5.24: The results are now in (though not final) and it appears none of the 4 members of the Safety Slate have been elected to Santa Monica City Council. Ellis Raskin lead the field with 13,395 votes, or 13.32%. Dan Hall was second at 13,384 votes, 13.31%. Natalya Zernitskaya finished third at 12,904 and Barry Snell got 12,806 votes. The top four all won seats on the 7 member Council. The numbers of votes are remarkably similar, which suggests a large scale ballot harvesting operation...
Donald Trump has taken a slim lead in Arizona, edging ahead by 0.10% with 54% of votes counted. But the real surprise lies in the Midwest, where Trump appears to have captured the critical “Blue Wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Adding to the unexpected twists, Iowa—which a recent Des Moines Register poll had tipped in favor of the Democrats—has swung decisively for Trump, with the former president currently leading by a striking 14 points. Fox News has already...
On November 5, 2024, as Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, cast their votes in Palm Beach, Florida, the "Fake Melania" conspiracy theory roared back to life. As usual, a few eagle-eyed internet sleuths couldn't help but notice something "off." This time, though, it wasn't just the signature oversized sunglasses hiding Melania's face-it was the fact that she was smiling. And if there's one thing the internet insists the real Melania doesn't do, it's smile. The footage, shared widely on X...
Update, 11/3/24: From a man who claims to know the family: "A female student from the Islamic Azad University of Science and Research in Tehran fell into a coma today at noon after being tortured by security guards. All students and professors from state, private, and medical universities across the country have declared that they will not attend classes on Monday, November 5, 2024, and will instead hold a sit-in on campus to protest the torture of this student and to voice against the violence...
November 6, 2024 Ocean Water Use Warning for Los Angeles County Beaches The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters: BEACH AREA WARNINGS: Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey The entire swim area. Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica 100 yards up and down the coast from the pier. Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro The entire swim area. Windward storm drain at...
On Saturday afternoon, November 2, 2024, a Big Blue Bus collided with a fire hydrant in downtown Santa Monica, causing a dramatic water gusher that temporarily flooded the intersection of Broadway and 4th Street. The impact dislodged the top portion of the hydrant, leading to a powerful spray that quickly filled the intersection. Firefighters from two companies responded to the scene, working swiftly to shut off the gushing hydrant and control the water flow. The intersection was closed for...
Ask Rusty – Why Does the Government Raid Social Security? Dear Rusty: The Social Security program is funded by employees and their employers. The federal government does not contribute to the program, right? So why does the federal government feel they have the right to raid the fund? All the money sent to Ukraine and other unnecessary programs could have been used to pay back what they owe to Social Security. Signed: Disgruntled Senior Dear Disgruntled Senior: You are correct that the Social...
Jewish families and individuals in the city of Santa Monica were callously targeted with antisemitic propaganda this past Monday, October 28th. Shocked recipients stated that their non-Jewish spouse or partner were spared the hateful election hit piece which caused heightened concerns. The fabricated defamation came from an organization hiding behind the name "Center for Excellence in Public Education" operating as a 501 (c) (4) but also utilizing PAC 527 status. Prior to the shocking singling...
Well, this exhausting season is almost over. No matter what the result, I trust that we will muddle on and things will settle down. But I want to comment on last week's City Council meeting, which reached new lows, disrupted by two members of our community: Jon Katz and Jason Mastbaum, who left right before being escorted out by the police. Both are out-of-touch SMRR dead-enders and Santa Monica Democratic Club stooges, and they, like all people defending the indefensible in terms of policy,...
Rumors have circulated for two years about alleged phone conversations between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, some critics suggest the connection may run even deeper. “The West’s wealthiest man is coordinating with the world’s most malevolent dictator,” claims The Bulwark, a left-leaning publication. Once praised as a progressive icon for advancing electric vehicles, Musk is now being accused of supporting xenophobic and divisive ideologies, similar to...
Santa Monica's City Council thinks the city is just fine. One councilmember called the homeless residents our neighbors, their wants and desires equivalent to those of people who pay rent and pay taxes. The 'freedom' of some, most of whom suffer from drug addiction and mental illness, to live in filth, disease and to commit crimes with impunity, is valued over the ability of the rest of society to live healthy lives in law and order. Watch the videos shot and distributed by the Santa Monica...
