When you read a book, the experience is always uniquely your own. No matter the author, what you get is always your interpretation of the language on the page. But at Santa Monica Public Library’s Living Library event, when an individual “checks out” a “book,” the circumstances are tremendously... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk I don’t understand why there are many European diesel cars with very high mileage ratings that are not available in the U.S. Can you enlighten? John Healy Fairfield, CT Different countries do have differing standards in regard to how much pollution gasoline and diesel automobile engines are allowed to emit, but the... Read more →

PICO BLVD — For the past 10 years, a series of colorful painted window displays have greeted customers who enter a small mom and pop video rental store here, providing an outside preview of the eccentricities that await inside. Painted by a long-time store employee, those windows feature recognizable characters from popular... Read more →

Believe it or not, there were actually things that took place at Nazi Germany’s concentration camps that survivors found humorous years later. That is the unlikely story that Santa Monica-based filmmaker Jon Kean tells in his poignant, yet surprisingly humorous documentary “Swimming in Auschwitz” that will air on local PBS... Read more →

NORTH OF MONTANA — Polly Wilson was enjoying a late-night stroll in Palisades Park with her friend Ashley Olson and their dogs Kegger and Sol when they heard something that made them stop in their tracks. “We heard a woman screaming bloody murder,” Wilson said. She ran with her St. Bernard across Ocean Avenue toward... Read more →

FOURTH STREET — Nearly a year since 23 ficus trees were uprooted in a controversial streetscape improvement project, some hard feelings clearly remain. In a gathering that was billed as a cooperation building workshop between tree activists and city officials about matters related to the urban forest, the discussion on more than one... Read more →

CITYWIDE — This weekend, celebrate the whole wide world without leaving the city. Festivals for Earth weekend are being held from the Santa Monica Pier to the Santa Monica Mountains. The weekend kicks-off with the monthly “Nothin’ But Sand” beach cleanup hosted by Heal the Bay from 10 a.m. to noon on the beach just... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — While the challenge of being the state’s top cop was intriguing, Councilman Bobby Shriver said Thursday that he will not run for attorney general in 2010, citing concerns about being away from his newborn baby girl during the campaign. The brother of California first lady Maria Shriver and nephew of President John F.... Read more →

A major on-ramp to the Santa Monica Freeway will be closed through Sunday while crews replace the pavement at the intersection of Fourth Street and Olympic Drive, city officials said. “The city will work very hard to minimize the disruption that this project may cause,” officials said in a statement. “Nevertheless, some... Read more →

Crime Watch is a weekly series culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Saturday, April 11, at 2:25 a.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to several reports of auto burglaries in or around the 1300 block of Cedar... Read more →