Josh “Bagel” Klassman is a photographer and longtime Venice Beach local who has spent decades documenting the people, places, and subcultures that helped define one of California’s most legendary neighborhoods.

In this video, Bagel talks about growing up around Venice Beach, photographing the local skate, surf, graffiti, and punk scenes, and witnessing the changes that transformed Venice from a rough-and-tumble beach town into an international destination. The conversation covers the Pavilion, the Pits, the breakwater, the boardwalk, local characters, street photography, punk rock, surfing, skateboarding, and the importance of documenting places before they disappear.

Interceptor 007 in Los Angeles’ Ballona Creek is getting some backup.

By 2028, we aim to have two more Interceptors deployed in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers. Together, these three Interceptors will address the 410 tons - 628 tons (820,000 lbs - 1.384,503 lbs) of plastic that flows from the city to the ocean.

Los Angeles is part of our 30 Cities Program, which aims to tackle 1/3 of all plastic pollution from rivers into the ocean by 2030.

The 2026 U.S. Open of Freestyle Skateboarding at Venice Beach, Saturday, June 13th.

The Venice Beach department of Recreation and Parks in coordination with the USA Freestyle Skateboarding Association presents the U.S. Open of Freestyle Skateboarding! Join the best freestyle skateboarders in the world for a Pro/Am freestyle showdown at the iconic Venice Beach Roller Dance Plaza!

California Department of Fish and Wildlife finds Venice's Dudley Market Restaurant in Violation of Fishing and Advertising Laws

Restaurant Managers Ordered to Pay Tens of Thousands in Penalties; Fishing Vessel Owner and Operators Prohibited from Commercial Fishing in State.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) wildlife officers conducted an investigation into Dudley Market, a high-end restaurant and fish business in Venice, Calif., for unlawfully selling seafood while advertising its products as traceable, sustainable and lawfully sourced. The investigation found repeated violations of state and federal commercial fishing laws in 2020 and 2021.

Prosecutors from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and Santa Barbara and Los Angeles County district attorney’s offices resolved the case through a civil enforcement action under California’s Unfair Competition Law. The case resulted in more than $100,000 in penalties for the restaurant and its managers, and fishing vessel owners and operators involved have been prohibited from owning or operating a commercial fishing vessel in California.

“Commercial fishing laws exist to protect our oceans and preserve marine ecosystems,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman. “These businesses lured the public into thinking they were caring for our precious resources, when in reality, their fish was unlawfully sourced. Sustainability was the bait, but fraud was the hook. The message is clear; this kind of deception will not be tolerated.”

Conner Mitchell, 37, of Venice, and Taylor Grant, 41, of Santa Monica, managed Dudley Market in 2020 through the business entities Dudley Street Oyster Bar and Shark Bite Fish Co. Grant later ended her association with the business, while Mitchell continued overseeing daily operations and seafood procurement. Mitchell operated the commercial fishing vessel Jamaica Day, which he and Grant used to catch fish for the restaurant. Cody Martin, 30, of El Segundo, operated the commercial fishing vessel Predator and supplied fish to Dudley Market.

CDFW wildlife officers served search warrants on cellular devices belonging to Mitchell and Martin, as well as the chart plotter aboard the commercial fishing vessel Predator. Evidence obtained during the investigation revealed repeated violations of laws governing California’s commercial fishing and seafood industry.

Under California law, it is illegal to sell sport-caught fish commercially. Fish taken by a commercial vessel also must be lawfully brought to port and documented on an electronic fish ticket before being removed from the vessel. This documentation is critical for CDFW and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to effectively manage California fisheries and ensure long-term sustainability.

The investigation revealed numerous violations of California commercial fishing laws, including the unlawful purchase, possession and sale of sport-caught fish such as rockfish, bluefin tuna and yellowtail; commercial fishing activity conducted without required licenses; failure to lawfully document federally managed species brought to shore; illegal harvest of rockfish within restricted conservation areas and state marine protected areas; and the marketing of unlawfully sourced seafood as sustainable, traceable and lawfully procured.

As part of the settlement Mitchell, Dudley Street Oyster Bar and Shark Bite Fish Co. were ordered to pay $58,226.25 in civil penalties, $15,000 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and $1,773.75 in court costs and fees in May 2026. Grant was ordered to pay $40,000 in civil penalties and $10,000 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund in Jul. 2025. Martin was ordered to pay $8,000 in civil penalties and $2,000 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund in Sep. 2025. Grant and Martin are prohibited from commercial fishing in California. Gilmer Grant, owner of fishing vessel Jamaica Day in 2020, was ordered to pay $10,000 in civil penalties and $5,000 to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund in Aug. 2025 and is prohibited from owning or operating a commercial fishing vessel in California. The settlement also requires compliance oversight measures, public disclosure notices and additional financial penalties should future violations occur.

“Angelenos deserve to know that the seafood they purchase is safely sourced from businesses that are following the law and not jeopardizing local marine life,” according to Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. “My office will always hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect consumers and our fragile ecosystems.”

Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch added, “Violating fishing regulations that are intended to preserve Marine Protected Areas threatens the environment and the fishing industry that depends on sustainable fish stocks in the future.”

Dudley Marrket posted this "Pursuant to the terms of a recently entered Los Angeles Superior Court Order, we are required to provide you with notice that throughout the years 2020 and 2021, we violated California and federal laws applicable to commercial fishermen and fish businesses in California. Simultaneously therewith, we falsely advertised the Dudley Market as source of fully sustainable, transparent, and lawfully procured fish. We now comply with California and federal law and have we have ceased all such false advertising."

Photos via CDFW

The Santa Monica Police Department is investigating a fatal traffic collision involving a pedestrian and a Metro bus that occurred Friday afternoon at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard.

On May 15, 2026, at approximately 2:00 p.m., SMPD officers and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel responded to the area of Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard regarding a collision involving a pedestrian and a Metro bus. The pedestrian, an adult female, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Investigators located security video from a nearby business, which provided a clearer view of the circumstances leading up to the collision. Preliminary investigation indicates the Metro bus was stopped when the pedestrian moved underneath the bus. As the bus pulled away from the stop, the pedestrian was struck and sustained fatal injuries.

The Metro bus operator remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication of impairment or distraction on the part of the operator.

A Big Blue Bus vehicle that arrived at the stop moments after the incident was temporarily held for documentation and released as soon as practical.

Main Street was closed between Ocean Park Boulevard and Hollister Avenue during the investigation. Traffic on westbound Ocean Park Boulevard toward Main Street was also impacted.

This remains an active investigation.

Following the success of Interceptor 007, The Ocean Cleanup signed agreements with county and city leaders in Los Angeles to expand our operations to the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers

This project aims to prevent an estimated 410–628 tons of plastic from entering the Pacific Ocean through the LA rivers each year.

Checking out the Venice Beach Car Show on Cinco de Mayo Weekend

Photo via Youtube

Larry Vein, the founder of the controversial Pali Strong Foundation ended his life on April 27. He was 60 years old and the father of a baby boy.

Many have said Vein was energetic voice for Pacific Palisades residents.

Vein and the Pali Strong Foundation had come under fire when his Pali Strong Foundation recieved $500,000 of Fire Aid money. Money from the benefit concert that was advertised would go directly to victims of the California wildfires.

Pali Strong Foundation is basically an Instagram account and a website where Vein would post about the Palisade recovery. Because the Instagram has only 1k followers and very little interaction on posts, and the site is rarely visited, many were upset that Vein took the money.

When the backlash started, back in October 2025, Vein turned off all comments on his Instagram posts. He made a post explaining that he would use the $500,000 to make an app and more complete information website to be a hub for the Palisades Recovery. He mentioned "every voice matters", but kept all comments turned off.

Palisades residents and community leaders have questioned how this large sum was allocated to a newly formed group to operate an "online hub" for information rather than direct, tangible relief for the 13,000 homes destroyed across Los Angeles County. Some have alleged that he was not an active participant in community programs prior to receiving the funds.

Vein's statement claimed that Pali Strong operating under Community Partners, which is a used a "fiscal sponsor". This is a way to fast track the process of becoming a non-profit.

Vein said Community Partners encouraged him to apply for the Fire Aid Grant. Community Partners typically takes a 9% cut of grant money to provide nonprofit status and administrative support.

Pali Strong Foundation should not be confused with Pali Strong 2025

Pali Strong 2025 is students from Palisades High School who started an Instagram account and a GoFundMe to raise money to rebuild their school. They started using the Pali Strong name on January 7, 2025. Vein did not start using it until February.

Vein started by making Youtube videos on a channel he created called PacificPalisadesFire, with his first video on January 9th. He changed the channel's name to Pali Strong™️ (filmed by resident Larry Vein) in mid February, the same time he started the Instagram account.

Shacked Mag has most likely brought a lot more news about the fire and rebuild, and all other types of local news to the community, If anyone cares to donated to our fund, see below:

Scenes from CicLAvia's West Los Angeles Event, including a confused lady driving her vehicle onto the closed street.

CicLAvia temporarily closes streets to car traffic and opens them to Angelenos to use as a public park. Free for all, CicLAvia connects communities to each other across an expansive city, creating a safe place to bike, walk, skate, roll, and dance through Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger met with the president on Wednesday to discuss wildfire recovery. Bass brought gifts for Trump: a Pacific Palisades flag and a torch from LA's 1984 Summer Olympics.

When they did photo-ops for Trumps social media, Bass is there holding the torch, next to the Palisades flag that Trump is holding.

is a stupid idea. As many people as both have on their teams, no one there thought the image of a torch next to the Palisades flag would be a stupid idea.

Venice Healer Daisy is running for Santa Monica City Council.

The Santa Monica City Council is made up of seven members elected by the community. As the legislative authority, City Council sets the policies, priorities, and budget for the local government. The City Council provides leadership through policy development regarding the current practices and future direction of the City as well as the adoption and oversight of the City budget.

Click Here for more Stories about Venice Healer Daisy

Here's an update on The Venice Karen - Former New York Lawyer VS Hinano , we reported a few days ago.

David Feige, the person deemed the "Venice Karen" via wanted posters posted all around Venice Beach, is calling for a formal investigation into the source of the posters.

Feige, who recently became president of the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC), has filed two motions for this Thursday's VNC meeting.

One is to urge CD-11 and the City Council to establish an inter-agency task force to enforce noise violations against Hinano, Nalu Vida, and other businesses. The other is to urge CD-11 and the City Attorney’s office to investigate the source of the Venice Karen posters (flyers)

Here is the full motion about the posters.

Motion to Condemn the ‘Wanted Poster’ Attacks on the VNC and its President and Request for Immediate Action from CD-11, the City Attorney’s Office, and Other Relevant City Agencies

PURPOSE: Request for an investigation of unacceptable conduct.

BACKGROUND: Harassment and attempted intimidation are never acceptable ways to address issues in our city and our community, including the Venice Neighborhood Council. However, recently, ‘Wanted Posters’ were put up throughout Venice and spread widely on social media in an attempt to harass and intimidate the VNC and its President related to work done on behalf of the community in an attempt to have the requirements of the city’s Al Fresco Dining Ordinance properly implemented and enforced.

MOTION: The Venice Neighborhood Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions behind the malicious, organized attack on the VNC and its President and strongly urges CD-11, the City Attorney’s office and all other relevant city agencies to immediately take action to fully remedy this situation including by opening investigations into the source of the harassing fliers and threatening social media postings as well as the conduct of the bars at issue, including whether their previous and ongoing conduct constitute a public nuisance and violation of city regulations.

This motion does not appear to be 100% accurate.

The posters/flyers never mentioned the Venice Neighborhood Council. It wasn't until photos of the posters were shared online that people mentioned that he is the president of the VNC.

It was always known around the Washington Square/Venice Pier area crowd that Feige was always filing complaints about the noise, most were unaware that he became president of the VNC. Most do describe him as a nice guy, the guy "always wearing a bathroom walking his dogs in the morning."

It is not clear if the source of the flyers knew about Feige's VNC presidency, as the creator of the flyers is still unknown.

Hinano has stated they are aware of the posters and they do not support it. They also do not know who is responsible.

Feige's other motion for Thursday meeting calls for a "Creation of an Inter-Agency Task Force to Coordinate the Enforcement of the City’s AlFresco Dining Ordinance". AlFresco Dining refers to the outdoor seating areas of the local bars and restaurants. Business, such as Nalu Vida, are not allowed to have live music or any use of outdoor speakers. And according to the memo Nalu Vida publicly flaunts violating ordinances.

"Nalu Vida brags about these actions and regularly posts photos of their live music on social media."

Some people commenting on social media about this have mentioned that Feige may have only became president of the VNC to finally win his ongoing battle over the lack of ordinance enforcement and are questioning if that is grounds for him to resign. As we previously reported, Feige, a former New York lawyer turned producer, writer and documentarist. 60 year old Feige, who moved to Venice 20 years ago, has recently been elected President Of Venice Neighborhood Council, after former president Brian Averill resigned due to conflicts with members of the council. Averill, who is also from New York, approached Feige to seek the presidency. Former president Averill and the VNC already knew about this whole thing, as Feige has been coming to the VNC with these complaints for years now.

The VNC meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 6PM. We will have a recap of that meeeting on Friday.

And one last thing, to the California Post / NY Post, pay our photographer for the content you have taken and published. You have the money/budget, you do not need to steal from small businesses.

Anyone wanting to support real local media (who the big mainstream media keeps stealing from), please consider a donation using the link below:

Wanted signs for The Venice Karen have been posted all around Venice Beach this week.

"Who builds a multi-million dollar house right by behind Hinanos (Est. 1962) and then calls the police 30 times in one day to complain about the noise?

Last seen manically calling 911 freom a brand-new mansion”

So who is this "Venice Karen" and what is this all about?

The person in the poster is David Feige, a former New York lawyer turned producer, writer and documentarist. 60 year old Feige, who moved to Venice 20 years ago, has recently been elected President Of Venice Neighborhood Council, after Brian Averill resigned due to conflicts with members of the council. Averill, who is also from New York, approached Feige to seek the presidency.

As the poster mentions, Feige has reported Hinanos to authorities several times for various reasons



Feige's issues with Hinanos has been going on for several years now. And not it's not just Hinanos, he has also reported Cabo Cantina, The Whaler, and Mercedes for being too loud, having outdoor speakers, staying open past the allowed time, and other ordinance businesses he says these places are not following.

"For nearly 18 months, there has not been a single week that Hinano has complied with the rules. Even after midnight their outdoor space is packed. They allow people to congregate so densely that they block the sidewalk, and they regularly tolerate outdoor drinking and loitering as well as the use of portable speakers played in and adjacent to their outdoor space. It is, in a word, mayhem. With multiple fights, regular screaming, constant urination, and unceasing noise." He mention in a request to the Venice Neighborhood Council (prior to him being elected president).

They should be like "New York whose Al Fresco experiments also rely on keeping ambient noise to a minimum, the Ordinance aims to preserve the business’s revenue stream while balancing the disturbances to those of us who live nearby."

Recently, on a Saturday, in the middle of the day, during the monthly Artwalk on Washington, Feige was seen telling police officers that The Whaler, Nala Vida, and some Art walk vendors are being too loud. The officers went and spoke to Nala Vida, but didn't bother the vendors or The Whaler that time.

As for who put up these posters, it is unknown at this time. The staff at Hinanos say they do not know anyuthing about it.

After all the grandstanding about the Baywatch reboot filming in Venice Beach, the production has been bullied out of Venice after a few days of shooting.

It's been reported that LA County Lifeguards, FilmLA, and the Department of Beaches & Harbors have made is too difficult, almost impossible to continue shooting in Venice. The show has moved production other beaches such as Redondo Beach and Santa Monica.

Ealrlier this week, a Baywatch insider posted this in a discussion:

"When people say production is leaving Los Angeles, it's not just about tax incentives, cheaper labor, avoiding healthcare and pension costs, or skirting SAG contracts by hiring mostly non-union actors. Those are factors, yes-but Los Angeles itself has become part of the problem.

Despite what Gavin Newsom or Karen Bass say publicly about being film-friendly, the departments that operate under and alongside them -like FilmLA-often feel more like obstacles than support.

Baywatch was initially planning to shoot in Australia. When that became known, Newsom recognized the optics of losing such an iconic project and pushed for a special rebate to keep it in California. Unfortunately, the budget was never truly adjusted to reflect the realities of shooting in LA, which meant an extremely tight pre-production.

To make it work, every department pulled together. Vendors gave discounts, department heads waived rental fees while still providing equipment, and the entire crew was motivated to prove that episodic television can still be produced in Los Angeles. That said, at one point, a FOX executive reportedly told a producer, "You're trying to prove you can shoot episodic TV in LA-I'm here to prove you wrong."

So it's not just that LA is expensive-it's that studios have grown accustomed to paying less elsewhere and no longer want to absorb the cost of staying here.

But the real challenge hasn't just been budgets -it's been the city itself.

The plan was to shoot in Venice Beach. Millions were spent building a headquarters at the lifeguard station by the pier, fully up to code so it could remain for community use after production. Everything was approved

- until just days before filming.

Then came the restrictions. New rules. Limitations from lifeguards.

Additional constraints from Beach and Harbors. Suddenly, everything was "no": no nighttime shooting, no picture vehicles, strict red zones limiting where we could operate.

We managed to shoot days 2 through 4 in Venice, but then came the backlash. We were told we weren't wanted back. Beach and Harbors shut us down. Lifeguards said we were too disruptive-even though the crew remained respectful throughout.

The reasons given could fill pages, but the takeaway is simple: while leadership claims California is film-friendly, the reality on the ground often says otherwise. City departments frequently deny requests or create costly barriers.

We'll shoot two more days before going on a brief hiatus over Easter to regroup and find new locations-possibly Santa Monica, more likely Leo Carrillo State Park.

At this point, we can only return to Venice to film at the headquarters we built-no beach work allowed.

That's the reality we're dealing with.

Los Angeles is not film friendly."

A spokesperson for LA Mayor Karen Bass made a statement, “Our Office has championed bringing Baywatch back to LA, providing concierge-level service for this production. Matters related to Beaches and Harbors fall under County jurisdiction, and the City remains in active communication with County officials.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath responded by saying the county is "beyond proud to welcome Baywatch back to LA County. Our entertainment industry’s home is right here, and we should be actively working to keep it here.” She has planned a meeting on April 8 with "“the production team, LA County Lifeguards, FilmLA, the Department of Beaches & Harbors, Council District 11, Public Works, the Department of Economic Opportunity, Fremantle, and Fox” to ensure the production can continue.

Malibu on a solid March swell filmed by Brad Jacobson.

Raw surf clips from March 11, 2026 filmed from the Malibu Pier.

Malibu isn't supposed to break like this in March. The south swells usually arrive much later in the year… but on this morning something unexpected showed up early. Surfers from all over Southern California made the drive, the lineup filled in, and long classic Malibu walls started rolling through.

Monday morning, Venice Beach is populated with homeless encampments, from the boardwalk to the skate park. A LAPD officer patrols the area, checking the encampments.

A rollerskater gets arrested after disrupting a childrens skateboarding class injurying a child.

Every Saturday, from 8 - 10AM, the Venice Beach Recreation Center hosts a skateboarding classes for kids under 12 years old. Taught by Skateboarding Hall of Famer Lonny Hiramoto, the classes use the Rollerskating Plaza because it is a really the only smooth flat surface with limited bike and pedestrian traffic, thus providing a safeeee enviroment for these kids who are just learning to ride a board.

Acording to several of the witnesses, this woman rolerskater showed up at 8 AM and started harrassing the class, yelling at Lonny, getting in the way, and bumping into the kids. Her interactions with the class esculated to a breaking point which resulted in a kid getting knocked down.

When the police arrive, she claims they mobbed up on her and assault her and that they are all lying about wht happened. She claims one of the guys assaulted her. After the police investigate, including reviewing videos from both parties, she is placed under arrest for battery. The police say the guy she claims hit her is nowhere to be found.

A few hours after the arrest she was released with just a ticket, according to her, she sent Shacked Mag a private mesage stating that and demanding the Instagram post about this be removed. Se also made coments on the post stating everyone lied. After she got backlash from several people replying to her, she deleted everything.

Getting familiar with the new Malibu skatepark with the homies.

Explore a new coastal skatepark featuring unique obstacles like euro gaps and a massive bowl. Experience the session as skaters test out the layout and attempt challenging tricks. The day continues with another spot check nearby.

Explore the evolution of skateboarding culture from its humble roots to a dominant cultural force. Participants retrace pivotal eras, attempting iconic tricks and stunts across Southern California. This journey highlights technical innovations and the rebellious spirit that shaped the sport.