Bass’s blue tech talk
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass this week joined environmental leaders and climate researchers in San Pedro for an in-depth discussion of new blue technology and initial findings of the impacts that January’s wildfires are having on LA’s coastlines and oceans.
During the roundtable discussion, Bass, Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka and industry experts discussed potential risks to marine life, kelp health, and overall ocean health among other topics.
Following the roundtable, Bass toured the educational programs offered by AltaSea, which focus on marine-based STEM and workforce initiatives. AltaSea is a unique public-private venture redeveloping a 100-year-old, 35-acre historic dockland at the Port of Los Angeles into a world-class oceanographic campus dedicated to scalable ocean-based climate solutions.
“Protecting our coastlines and oceans is critical to the recovery from January’s wildfires as well as pursuing our climate goals here in Los Angeles,” said Bass. “I want to thank AltaSea for bringing together these industry experts to share the important work and research they are doing.”
Gomez slams DoD’s Hegseth
U.S. Reps Jimmy Gomez (D-Downtown LA, Koreatown, Boyle Heights, Eagle Rock) yesterday slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to remove Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship.
Milk, a Korean War Veteran, was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Following his assassination in 1978, Milk remains an icon in San Francisco and nationally, and is often considered a martyr in the LGBTQ community.
Gomez’s comments came after Hegseth, during [LGBTQ] Pride Month, ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship named in 2016 to honor Milk’s military service and his legacy nationally and within the LGBTQ community as the first openly gay man elected to office in California as a San Francsico County Supervisor.
”We name ships after American heroes for a reason. Harvey Milk was a Korean War veteran, civil rights icon, and public servant,” wrote Gomez, a member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, wrote Bluesky. “Secretary Hegseth’s decision to remove his name from this oil tanker is shameful and cowardly. Our heroes deserve to be honored—not erased.”
Santa Monica Celebrates Juneteenth
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete and the City of Santa Monica this week announced the lineup for their 33rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration.
This year’s theme, ‘A Family Affair: Unifying, Healing, and Restoring,’ pays homage to the enduring legacy of Black resilience and culture through an immersive day of music, spoken word, collective dialogue, and joyful, liberatory practices.
Three decades before Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday, Santa Monica trailblazer Laverne Ross — a visionary community activist — secured the first city funding for a Juneteenth event. Today, Ross’s vision lives on in what has become Santa Monica’s largest annual celebration of Black culture and traditions.
“Juneteenth is a celebration that we’ve held in Santa Monica for over three decades, thanks to the leadership of Laverne Ross and the deep dedication of many of our community members,” said Negrete. “I’m thrilled to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth in this year’s homage to the enduring legacy of Black resilience and culture.”
This free, family-friendly event draws over 2,000 attendees each year from Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, and beyond, creating a vibrant space for reunion, remembrance, and renewal. The 2025 celebration will showcase a rich mosaic of Black musical genres, including West African drumming and dance, soul, funk, jazz, gospel, Afro Blue Grazz and more.
The annual event is slated for between 2 and 7 pm, Saturday, June 14, at Virginia Avenue Park. For event details, click here.
