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  • Rent Control May Expand Through Vacancy Decontrol Ballot Initiative

    Observer Staff|Nov 1, 2017

    A bill before the State Legislature could reverse the Costa Hawkins Law. This 1995 law allows a landlord to get out from under rent control by declaring a kind of bankruptcy, and going out of business. It modified Santa Monica's 1978 Rent Control law. Costa Hawkins also excludes from rent control single-family homes and apartments built after 1995. The new law would repeal Costa Hawkins through an initiative on the 2018 ballot. California is in the grip of a housing crisis. The median price of...

  • #JFKFILES: Jack Ruby Was Confused with Strip Club Operator Harry Rubenstein

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Nov 1, 2017

    Jack Ruby (the man who killed the man who killed President John Fitzgerald Kennedy), was confused with a strip club operator named HARRY Rubenstein. This according to new documents released by the Federal government this week, and posted online at a government archive website. A few days after the Kennedy assassination, a man named Jack Ruby walked into a Dallas police station and shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Ruby is a dark and mysterious figure. The shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald denied the...

  • Monopoly Guy Sitting Behind Chairman Smith at the Senate Equifax Hearings

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Oct 9, 2017

    Mascot from the boardgame Monopoly is photobombing the hearings on Equifax's massive data breach. Sitting behind Chairman Richard Smith is a dude in a monocle, bushy white moustache and top hat. The clincher is Smith doesn't seem to notice. In September 2017, Equifax announced a cyber-security breach, which it claims to have occurred between mid-May and July 2017, where cybercriminals accessed approximately 145.5 million U.S. Equifax consumers' personal data, including their full names, Social S...

  • St. John, US Virgin Islands, Feel Abandoned in the wake of Category 5 Hurricane Irma

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|Sep 16, 2017

    St. John in the US Virgin Islands was hit Friday by the most powerful Category 5 hurricane to ever come out of the Atlantic. Florida has taken all the press, attention from FEMA and the Coast Guard. Meanwhile, on St. John, power is out. There are reports of heavy damage and looting. Federal authorities are nowhere to be found, by some reports. Amier Salem, whose family owns the Bayside Mini-Market in Cruz Bay, has been living in the store as he tries to get home to St. Thomas. He said Wednesday...

  • Former Santa Monica Observer Intern #StephenMillerSTheTypeOfGuy

    David Ganezer, Observer Publisher|Aug 9, 2017

    Trash White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller if you must. I remember him as the kid who used to work for me. In 2001, a Santa Monica High School student named Stephen Miller walked into my office at the Santa Monica Observer, and asked if he could write opinion pieces for the Santa Monica Observer. That kids name was Stephen Miller. Even then, he was serious, cerebral, quiet and studied. It was hard for me to take him seriously, he was so serious. I mean, at 16, shouldn't you be...

  • NY Times Blamed Sarah Palin for Gaby Giffords Attack, Then Apologized

    Breitbart News|Jul 3, 2017

    Following the Virginia shooting which has left Rep. Steve Scalise reportedly still fighting for his life, the New York Times brought out an old blood libel. In a scramble to spread the blame for gun violence across the spectrum after it became clear the shooter was a hard-core leftist, the Times editorial board placed blame on Sarah Palin for the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords. And now that Palin is threatening a libel suit, they've sheepishly published a correction (not a mea culpa, mind...

  • Wind, Solar Power Could Overpower Political Winds

    Zane|Jun 19, 2017

    Demand for renewable energy by consumers and businesses – along with a long-term commitment to cleaner portfolios from utilities – seems to be fundamentally shifting energy attitudes and decisions, independent of federal stances, according to Deloitte's annual "Resources 2017 Study – Energy Management: Sustainability & Progress." Technology advancements and cost declines have made renewables competitive with conventional energy, giving consumers and businesses more clean energy options and p...

  • Union Raises Questions about NV5 Global's Trump Connections

    Zane|Jun 12, 2017

    The Culinary Union in Las Vegas has raised questions about NV5 Global Inc. California segment in connection with company executives' support for President Trump. The company is holding its Annual Shareholder Meeting on June 10th at Red Rock Resort in the Summerlin master planned community. NV5 CEO Dickerson Wright made four donations to the Trump Make America Great Again committee in 2016. And on January 25, 2017, NV5 Senior Vice President Kevin Wedman tweeted: "I will be your Chief Building...

  • City of Santa Monica Proposes Spending 20% More Money Next Year than This Year, Calls it "Sustainable."

    David Ganezer, Observer Staff Writer|May 30, 2017
    3

    The City of Santa Monica just released it's proposed 2017-18 fiscal year budget. I hope you're sitting down, because it's much bigger even than last year's $621 million budget. "The overall proposed budget is $773.7 million in FY 2017-18 and $802.1 million in FY 2018-19. This budget reflects the operating and capital activities of 31 funds across 15 departments and approximately 2,300 permanent and temporary full-time equivalent positions," says the City in a press release. It is doubtful that...

  • AARP Remains Steadfastly Opposed to Health Bill Passed By House of Representatives

    Zane|May 26, 2017

    AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond reiterated AARP's opposition to the health bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would harm American families who count on access to affordable health care: "AARP is deeply disappointed in today's vote by the House to pass this deeply flawed health bill. "The bill will put an Age Tax on us as we age, harming millions of American families with health insurance, forcing many to lose coverage or pay thousands of dollars more for health...

  • Sheila Kuehl opposes plan to expand Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

    Observer Staff|May 26, 2017

    They have been called "the most powerful elected officials in the United States." Due to a County Charter left over from 1870, and the lack of political will among voters to expand the Board of Supervisors, just five County Supervisors control an LA County Budget exceeding $26.35 Billion, and represent, as best as possible, 10,000,000 residents of Los Angeles County. Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza, who lives in the small Los Angeles County city of Artesia, proposed the plan as an amendment to the...

  • American Diabetes Association Calls Out Inaccurate Comments from White House Office of Management and Budget Director

    Zane|May 18, 2017

    On behalf of the nearly 30 million Americans living with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association is extremely disappointed by the misinformed statement of Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, as reported by The Washington Examiner. Mr. Mulvaney's comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle. We are also deeply troubled by his assertion that access to health care should be rationed or denied to anyone. All...

  • Study Reveals Shifts in Vocabulary Since 2016 Presidential Election

    Zane|May 8, 2017

    While the 2016 Presidential election left Americans split across party lines, there is one thing the majority can agree on – more than half (53%) of overall Americans now feel more informed about current affairs than before the Presidential election. When looking at responses broken down by political party, a study released by Dictionary.com found that exactly 58% of both Democrats and Republicans agree (vs. 50% of independents) they are more informed now about current events as compared with p...

  • President, Congress Reach Deal to Fund the Federal Government Through September

    Observer Staff|May 3, 2017

    NBC News and the Washington Post are reporting that Congress has reached a deal to avert a U.S. Government shutdown. Congressional negotiators have reached an agreement on a spending package to fund the government through the end of September, in the shadow of a government shutdown later this week, said several congressional aides. Congress will vote early this week on the deal. The bipartisan agreement includes increases for military spending and border security, a major priority for GOP...

  • Denver Protests Global Warming on a Freezing April 29th; temps were 31 Degrees Farenheit

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|May 1, 2017
    1

    Environmental groups and social-, racial- and economic justice groups marched for climate action on Saturday, April 29, 2017 in Denver and 11 other cities in Colorado. As the event began, outside temperatures were a freezing 31 degrees Farenheit. Water freezes below 32 degrees Farenheit, which is also zero degrees Celsius. The events are among the 330 sister marches throughout the U.S. and globally to rally for public policies that recognize and seek to slow climate change. The events are also...

  • How to get into Stanford With a 3.0 GPA, and 400 on the SAT: Write #BlackLivesMatter 100 Times

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Apr 21, 2017

    When Ziad Ahmed faced his college applications to Stanford University, California's most prestigious private college, he gave the perfect answer for today's politically correct admission committee. The application asked "What matters to you and why?" Ahmed wrote #BlackLivesMatter 100 times, and got admitted. Even though he's not black. Genius, right? Because after all, that proves he's qualified, right? Anyway, the Pakisatani American tweeted his application and admission, and the story went...

  • North Korea Releases Photo of White House Spokesman Sean Spicer as the Easter Bunny

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Apr 18, 2017

    In what must be described as the worst attack in Cyber Space since the North Korean Army hacked Sony Pictures, the DPRK News Agency has released a photo of White House Spokesman Sean Spicer, wearing a rabbit suit. The smiling spicer's photo is accompanied by the following tweet: DPRK News Service‏ @DPRK_News Apr 13 Sean Spicer berated by US press for ignorance of German holocaust. Japanese holocaust against millions of Asians sees no coverage, as usual. The reference of course is to Spicer's g...

  • Trump Calls it "Fake News." Thomas Jefferson Said Pretty Much The Same Thing About Newspapers

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Apr 16, 2017

    Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; Donald Trump wrote the Art of the Deal. Jefferson owned Monticello; Trump owns Mar A Lago. Jefferson owned slaves, dozens of them. He had an affair and six children with Sally Hemings, one of his slaves. Trump employs hundreds of people, from construction people to lawyers to PR people. Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, which is still a great university. Donald Trump founded Trump University; let's not go there. Thomas...

  • 8th Suspicious Death of Russian Diplomat or Official in 5 months: Denis Voronenkov

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Apr 16, 2017

    Update: CNN has added the deaths of three more Russian diplomats or officials in two months to the list. CNN has noticed what we noticed 2 months ago: The mysterious deaths of Russian officials are piling up. First Alexander Kadakin, 67, the Russian ambassador to India, died on January 26 after a brief, mysterious illness. Then, Denis Voronenkov was gunned down in Ukraine. "The brazen daytime slaying of a Russian politician outside a Ukrainian hotel this week brings to eight the number of...

  • Santa Monica Shotgun House Receives an LA 2017 Preservation Award

    Rebecca James|Apr 13, 2017
    1

    The Los Angeles Conservancy has selected eight recipients for the organization's 2017 Preservation Awards, including Santa Monica's last surviving shotgun house. The annual designations, which celebrate "outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation," are chosen from across Los Angeles County and include physical structures, organizations, and preservation-minded programs. The Shotgun House in Santa Monica was recognized for its dogged perseverance. The building was threatened...

  • Russia: Press 2 "to use the services of Russian hackers," 3 "to request election interference."

    Observer Staff|Apr 3, 2017

    In an apparent April Fools Day joke, the Russian Foreign Ministry posted a message offering interference in your next election. "To arrange a call from a Russian diplomat to your political opponent, press 1," the recording begins, in Russian and English. Press 2 "to use the services of Russian hackers," and 3 "to request election interference." President Donald Trump has called upon NBC News, and also other news organizations, to stop covering Russia's purported interference into the November 7t...

  • Clean Energy Plan Killed. Resurrected by the People.

    Zane|Apr 1, 2017

    As the Trump Administration prepares to scale back regulations on carbon pollution, consumers take matters into their own hands – BIGLY! Recent events suggest consumers are fighting back to protect the health of the planet. If true, it might just mean that decades of environmental public service announcements are paying off. Grassroots movements have sprung up across the country amplifying angry voices heard at protests and Congressional town hall meetings. Conscientious consumers are taking a...

  • Santa Monica Conservancy Appeals Landmarks Commission Denial of Home Savings Building

    Observer Staff|Mar 29, 2017

    The Santa Monica Conservancy has filed an appeal of the Landmarks Commission's technical denial of an application to designate the former Home Savings building at 26th and Wilshire Blvd and the parcel on which it is located. The appeal hearing is scheduled for the City Council meeting next Tuesday, March 28th. Legal challenges by the property owner over the past four years have delayed resolution of whether this building merits designation as a Santa Monica Landmark, said the Santa Monica...

  • Sen. Schumer Joins ASPCA in Urging USDA to Restore Public Access to Animal Welfare Data

    Zane|Mar 29, 2017

    The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was joined by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City today to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore public access to the animal inspection reports and enforcement actions that the agency abruptly removed from its website on February 3rd. Sen. Schumer spoke with Matt Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO, in a Facebook Live segment, where the ASPCA unveiled the results of...

  • Ivanka Just Got An Office In The West Wing. Tiffany Trump Deserves One, Too

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Mar 23, 2017

    The big item on the national news wire tonight is that Ivanka Trump is getting an office in the West Wing of the White House. Well, Ok, the big item was James Comey was testifying to Congress, something about James Clapper's trip to Russia and a brokerage fee paid on a 19% interest in Rosneft. But the big news that even though she will not accept a salary, Tiffany Trump, long her Father's advisor in business, will get an office on the second floor of the West Wing next to National Security...

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