Sorted by date Results 14 - 38 of 3626

18: With the majority of votes now counted in California's June 2, 2026, top-two primary for Insurance Commissioner, State Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) has solidified a strong second-place position, positioning him to advance to the November general election. Latest results (as of early June 4 reporting, with most precincts partially or fully reporting): Jane Kim (D, progressive/Working Families Party): 23.8% (~1,140,336 votes) Ben Allen (D): 19.2% (~920,814 votes)...

Yesterday, San Francisco voters went to the polls in the primary to choose who will succeed Nancy Pelosi in California's 11th Congressional District. I ran as a Republican in one of the most reliably Democratic districts in the country. I felt strongly that in a once in 38 year open seat election, Republicans should be represented--even if SF is the bluest city in America. I didn't advance to the general election-nor did I expect to-but the experience was invaluable. Here's...

Santa Monica, CA - Voters in Santa Monica encountered notably long lines at polling locations on Election Day, reflecting a broader trend of increased participation across Los Angeles County in the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election. According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan, the county - home to more than 5.8 million registered voters - experienced modestly higher turnout compared to the 2022 primary. Officials projected...

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County election officials are investigating fire-related damage to a small number of Vote-by-Mail ballots found inside an official ballot drop box at the Department of Public Social Services-Civic Center location. Separately, LA Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt released a video showing homeless people encamped near that same ballot box. According to a May 31, 2026 news release from the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, the damage was discovered during...

Sacramento, CA - A video circulating widely on social media shows Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang facing away from the American flag as fellow officials and attendees recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a council meeting, reigniting debate over patriotism and elected officials' responsibilities. Vang, a Democrat representing District 8 and a candidate in the June 2, 2026, primary for California's 7th Congressional District, has made no secret of her practice. She...

In a move blending sci-fi aesthetics with pointed political messaging, the Trump administration has unveiled a new page on the official White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/aliens/. The site opens with dramatic, glowing green text against a starry backdrop: "THEY WALK AMONG US." It teases a "closely guarded secret" held for 60 years, complete with "TOP SECRET" stamps and a call to "SCROLL TO CONTINUE." But this isn't about little green men from Mars or declassified...

UCs and Cal States Should Admit Students Totally on Merit The University of California system and California State University system are among America's great public universities. They built world-class reputations through rigorous standards and merit. But recent policies have eroded that foundation, leading to unprepared students, strained faculty, and long-term damage to California's higher education brand. It's time to return to pure merit-based admissions : objective measu...

LA - Seven suspects, all Colombian nationals, were charged Wednesday 5/20/26 with felonies in connection with a series of organized residential burglaries across Los Angeles County, authorities announced at a multi-agency press conference. Authorities detailed the arrests, which targeted members of a South American theft group responsible for dozens of home break-ins, particularly in the San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas. The suspects face charges including first-degre...

Summary: Average San Francisco voters distrust Scott Wiener, yet commentators call him a moderate progressive with well-intentioned YIMBY housing laws. In reality, he is California's most extreme legislator, exploiting constituents, stoking division, and ramming through unwanted policies while accusing opponents of bigotry. He enabled addiction by opposing Prop 36, authoring SB 57 for safe injection sites, and killing bills enhancing fentanyl penalties and targeting dealers....

**San Francisco** - In a city where parking spots can fetch six figures and tech millionaires bid up multimillion-dollar homes, a 5,000-square-foot "lot" near Candlestick Point just sold for a jaw-dropping $250 - with one major caveat: it's entirely underwater. The parcel at 0 Bancroft Avenue, Lot 17, in the Bayview District, consists of roughly 4,996 square feet of San Francisco Bay seabed. Listed on Zillow as a "rare underwater parcel" offering "unique opportunity for...

SANTA MONICA - The iconic Santa Monica Pier and the surrounding beach waters have once again landed on Heal the Bay's notorious "Beach Bummers" list, ranking as the second most polluted beach in California during dry weather conditions according to the organization's 2025-2026 Annual Beach Report Card, released just ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend. This marks the 10th consecutive year that the popular tourist destination has appeared among the state's worst performers f...

Hundreds of residents packed Santa Monica City Hall on the evening of May 12, 2026 (with the main public comment session spilling into May 13 coverage), delivering what organizers described as one of the largest and most passionate shows of support yet for keeping Santa Monica Airport (SMO) operational beyond its planned December 31, 2028, closure. An overflow crowd of approximately 200 airport supporters, many wearing white "Keep Santa Monica Airport Open" caps and gear,...

The Milken Institute Global Conference 2026 once again demonstrated why it remains one of the world's most prestigious and intellectually dynamic gatherings. Bringing together leaders from finance, technology, healthcare, entertainment, sports, philanthropy, government, and media, the conference delivered an extraordinary week of thought-provoking discussions centered on innovation, artificial intelligence, longevity, economics, global health, and the future of humanity. The...

In the heart of Dallas, Texas, at the facilities of Colossal Biosciences, a quiet revolution in biology unfolded on May 19, 2026. For the first time in history, 26 healthy chicken chicks hatched not from a natural egg laid by a hen, but from a fully artificial system engineered by scientists. These were not creations from nothing-the embryos came from fertilized chicken eggs-but their entire development occurred inside 3D-printed containers that mimicked the essential...

On May 18, 2026, two teenage males opened fire outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County, killing three men before dying from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a vehicle nearby. Law enforcement is investigating the attack as a hate crime. ### The Attack The shooting occurred around 11:43 a.m. near the mosque. The suspects, armed with multiple weapons, fired on people outside the facility. A security guard, identified as Amin...

IMPORTANT NOTE: ON 5/19/2026 the Santa Monica Police Department contacted us and denied most of the facts alleged in this article. Their email is posted here: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2026/05/16/news/span-classbrnwsbreaking-news-spanthe-smobserved-article-asserting-that-eight-dead-individuals-were-found-around-reed-park-415-to-5152026-is-incorrect-writes-smpd/9871.html In what some local residents are calling a "drug zombie apocalypse," Santa Monica authorities have...

SANTA ROSA ISLAND, Calif. (May 19, 2026) - A human-caused wildfire that began after a shipwrecked sailor fired emergency flares has scorched approximately 16,942 acres of Santa Rosa Island, making it California's largest wildfire of 2026 and the biggest recorded on the island in modern history. The blaze, known as the Santa Rosa Island Fire, started on the southeastern side of the island between Ford Point and South Point on May 15, 2026. Officials believe it was sparked when...

LOS ANGELES - A suspect wanted in connection with a kidnapping investigation in Santa Monica was arrested early Monday morning, May 18, 2026, following a vehicle pursuit that ended with an officer-involved shooting in South Los Angeles, authorities said. No one was injured. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers located the suspect around 3:15 a.m. while investigating an ongoing kidnapping case involving an adult victim that originated in Santa Monica. The s...

Good afternoon, I am writing to request a correction to the May 17 article claiming that eight bodies of homeless individuals were found in a half square mile area near Reed Park over the past four weeks. The article states this information was drawn from SMPD daily reports. That claim is inaccurate. SMPD has no information supporting that eight unhoused individuals were found deceased in or around Reed Park during the time period described. The death related calls referenced...

BRENTWOOD - Los Angeles police are searching for three suspects who broke into a home on Montana Avenue near Bristol Avenue Monday night while residents were inside, authorities said.Officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress around 8:41 p.m. on May 18, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Three individuals dressed in all black used a crowbar to smash the glass of the front patio door and entered the residence. A female tenant of the residence says that...

I know many San Francisco voters have never voted for a Republican — and that’s completely understandable after nearly 40 years of one-party Democratic rule. If you’re one of those voters, I’m not asking you to change your party registration. I’m asking you to consider something simpler: vote for the person who will actually make life easier for you and your family. Here’s why I believe you should vote for me, even if this is your first time supporting a Republican:...

Santa Monica - A pedestrian was killed Friday afternoon after being struck by a westbound Metro Line 33 bus in Santa Monica, authorities said. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. near the intersection of Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, close to the Santa Monica Pier area. Santa Monica police responded to the scene where the woman was pronounced dead. According to a statement from LA Metro: "A westbound Metro 33 Line Bus, pulling away from the bus stop at Main Street and...

(May 16, 2026) - A decomposed body was found Saturday morning in a homeless encampment beneath the California Incline near Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), according to local resident and City Council candidate Derrick Townsend. Townsend, who is running for Santa Monica City Council in the 2026 election, said he and his dog Frank discovered the remains while walking in the area. He described the body as "very decayed" with a strong odor, noting it was located in a known...

Beijing, China – May 15, 2026--In a display of stringent counterintelligence protocols, the entire U.S. delegation accompanying President Donald Trump discarded every item provided by their Chinese hosts before boarding Air Force One for departure from Beijing on Friday. According to reports citing New York Post correspondent Emily Goodin, who was traveling with the press pool, staff collected gifts, badges, pins, commemorative items, and other materials given by Chinese offic...

Washington, D.C. - More than a decade after her disappearance into the arms of America's adversaries, the FBI on May 14, 2026, announced a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Monica Elfriede Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist turned alleged Iranian asset. Witt, 47, once held a trusted position inside America's intelligence apparatus. From 1997 to 2008 she served as an Air Force Intelligence Specialist and Special Agent with the...