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Century-old US airport to shut down to make way for taxpayer-funded park as critics push for housing
A California airport that has operated for more than 100 years is set to close — and not without controversy.
The 227-acre Santa Monica Airport site is expected to be converted into open green space, sports areas and cultural facilities, according to the city of Santa Monica.
The city recently secured nearly $500,000 in funding to begin planning the transformation of about 20 acres of the airport site into park space, including trails, fitness areas and other public amenities, according to Los Angeles County documents.
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The airport is scheduled to close Dec. 31, 2028.
The closure follows decades of legal disputes and pushback from local residents, the city noted.
The airport has already operated under strict limitations in recent years, including restrictions on late-night activity.
“Although arrivals are permitted 24 hours a day, pilots are requested to avoid all operations between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Friday or until 8 a.m. on weekends,” the city said.
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In 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the city reached a settlement that allows Santa Monica to close the airport at the end of 2028 after continuing operations through that date, the FAA said.
The agreement also allowed the city to shorten the runway as part of efforts to limit airport activity.
Once closed, the site will be redeveloped into a large-scale public space.
Officials say the goal is to create a destination that serves both residents and visitors — while preserving open space in a densely populated area.
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Community input has played a major role in shaping the proposal, with the city hosting dozens of public meetings and collecting thousands of survey responses.
The proposal has sparked debate online.
Residents took to the r/SantaMonica subreddit to sound off on the decision.
Some residents voiced support for a large park, pointing to the lack of similar green spaces in Los Angeles.
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“Compared to other major cities, L.A. is lacking this type of curated urban park,” one user wrote in a discussion about the project.
Others argued the land should be used in a different way.
“We desperately need more housing,” another commenter wrote, suggesting the site could accommodate both a park and residential development.
A third commenter said, “Would love a better way to connect to Ocean Park by foot or bike without 23rd St. Having it be a mix of high-density housing and a park would be great.”
Yet another resident suggested it could be used for “a half-dozen super-tall residential towers, with mixed commercial and retail uses on the first few floors, and the rest a ton of public park space with trails and bike lanes and recreation fields.”
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US strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq reportedly continue as Baghdad warns of ‘right to respond’
The United States military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the headquarters of Iraq’s Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on Tuesday, in an escalation of strikes against Tehran’s prized militias.
The latest strikes from the U.S. military follows a statement last week from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said AH-64 helicopters “have been striking against Iranian-aligned militia groups to make sure that we suppress any threat in Iraq against U.S. forces or U.S. interests.”
In what appears to be an Iraqi threat against the U.S., Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement on Tuesday, “In light of the unjustified attacks and grave violations of Iraqi sovereignty, including the targeting of official security headquarters, the Council decided the following: To confront and respond to military attacks carried out by military aircraft and drones targeting the headquarters and formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission and other formations of our armed forces, using available means, in accordance with the right to respond and self-defense.”
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Sudani also said that Iraq’s foreign ministry planned to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires and separately the Iranian ambassador on Wednesday. The PMF is part of Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s government.
An Iraqi Kurdish government official said to Fox News Digital, “So what the Iraqi government will now fight the Americans?”
When asked about the Iraqi Kurdish government official’s comment, a spokesperson for Iraq’s embassy in Washington D.C., told Fox News Digital, “Absolutely not. It is against elements that target them.”
According to the Times of Israel, a fresh airstrike on Wednesday hit the PMF in western Iraq. “Two missiles were fired from a fighter jet” at a base in Anbar province, a security official said. The Anbar base was also reportedly struck by U.S. forces on Tuesday.
The Iraqi embassy spokesman said, responding to additional Fox News Digital press questions, that he lacked the current information to comment regarding the fast-moving developments in Iraq.
The PMF has launched attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Israel and other American assets in the region, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, following the U.S.-Israel joint attack on the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. Over the years, the PMF has been accused of killing American military personnel in the Middle East.
DEFIANT IRAN VOWS TO FIGHT ‘UNTIL COMPLETE VICTORY,’ DESPITE HEAVY MILITARY LOSSES
PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence was hit in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday. At least 15 PMF terrorists were killed in other airstrikes that hit a headquarters of the group in Iraq’s Euphrates valley province of Anbar, according to sources and a statement from the group.
The Kurdish government official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday: “The militias are brazenly doing Iran’s bidding. They’ve attacked U.S. forces and diplomats, Iraq’s own intelligence services, French troops, and the KRG’s Peshmerga [Kurdish Regional Government]. Energy and civilian infrastructure haven’t been spared. This does not require analysis — these groups openly claim responsibility.”
The Kurdish official added: “So why does the Iraqi government continue to pay those it itself describes as terrorists and criminals? There are four principal groups: Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataeb Hezbollah, Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq. This government is unwilling to defend its own interests, let alone those of its partners. At this point, the distinction between the PMF and the state is increasingly hard to discern.”
Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior non-resident fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy and an expert on the PMF, told Fox News Digital there was a “sense of delusion” during the Biden administration, which tried to differentiate between the PMF and six of its pro-Iran militia members that are U.S.-designated terrorist entities.
She said the recent strikes clearly “show that the U.S. is tired of this inane distinction,” Tsurkov said. She stressed the “entire PMF structure is a problem.”
Tsurkov, who was held hostage by the pro-Iranian regime, Kataib Hezbollah, for two and half years in Iraq, said, “The U.S. possesses immense leverage over Iraq. The U.S. can sanction certain ministries and certain directors generals.” She added that the U.S. can also sanction Iraqi banks that transfer money to Iran.
Tsurkov said the PMF are highly sensitive to U.S. strikes on their top leadership.
The PMF movement is reeling from the devastating alleged U.S. airstrikes. The dead included its operations commander, Saad al-Baiji. The statement said U.S. forces had targeted a command headquarters in Anbar while personnel were on duty. The security sources said the strikes were hit during a meeting attended by senior commanders.
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A State Department official told Fox News Digital that, “The United States strongly condemns the widespread attacks by Iran and Iran-backed militias against U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities.”
The official continued: “As Secretary Rubio has said, the Iraqi government must take all measures to safeguard U.S. diplomatic personnel and facilities and ensure militia groups cannot use Iraqi territory to threaten the United States, our Iraqi partners, or the region. Doing so is in Iraq’s interest. Continued attacks by Iran-backed militias undermine Iraq’s stability and risk drawing Iraq into a broader regional conflict.”
A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command referred Fox News Digital to the White House and to the Office of the Secretary of War for comment on the administration’s policy. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Pentagon for comment.
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On Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert warning: “Iraq Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR). U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Israel Defense Forces regarding Israel’s role in the ongoing strikes against Iran-backed militias.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Mysterious noise plagues 3 neighboring towns, leaving residents exhausted and shaken
Something is booming across the Hudson River — and it’s leaving some New Jersey residents exhausted and shaken.
People in Edgewater, Fort Lee and Cliffside Park, New Jersey — all towns across the water from Harlem in New York — say they’re often jolted awake by mysterious late-night music blasting from Manhattan, according to local officials.
The heart-pounding noise — which they say can be heard between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekends — reportedly reached a crescendo in February when Edgewater police received hundreds of complaints, according to reports.
MYSTERIOUS HUM RATTLES AMERICAN CITY AS RESIDENTS REPORT SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND RISING FEAR
“The source of the noise was determined to be coming from across the Hudson River, in Harlem, New York,” the Edgewater Police Department told Fox News Digital.
“We contacted the NYPD precinct regarding the noise complaint. In the warmer months, we typically get some complaints when party boats travel past Edgewater on the Hudson River.”
Now there’s a debate raging on social media.
Many residents are emphatic that the noise is coming from a nightclub in Harlem. Others, such as the Edgewater mayor, think party boats could be to blame.
Michael J. McPartland, mayor of Edgewater, told Fox News Digital that Edgewater has had problems with party boats for many years.
“Normally in the summer, boats will do charters or booze cruises with loud music,” McPartland told Fox News Digital.
UNEXPLAINED NIGHTTIME NOISES PROVOKE FEAR, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AS RESIDENTS SEEK ANSWERS
He said that “five, six, seven years ago,” he spoke to the NYPD to rectify the problem. “They usually accommodate us,” he said.
He added that “condos along the river in Edgewater” bear the brunt of the noise.
He said parks in Upper Manhattan can also get loud. “Sometimes they allow late-night parties there,” he said.
When asked if he knew about the most recent complaints, McPartland said he did not.
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Many members of the “Edgewater, NJ and Fort Lee, NJ and Cliffside Park, NJ” Facebook group remain outraged.
They are convinced the music is coming from a restaurant and club in Harlem with an outdoor lounge and a view of the skyline.
Other residents are puzzled by that. The restaurant some have pointed to closed two years ago.
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Some members of the Facebook group said the noise was so loud it felt like it was in their backyard.
Some called it a thumping sound that vibrates. Others said music blasts all night long.
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“Sound will carry more over water than in the woods or over a grass field,” Bennett Brooks, president of Brooks Acoustics Corporation, a company based in Connecticut and Florida, told Fox News Digital.
“However, a moderate wind up or down the river will disrupt the sound,” he added.
Brooks is not convinced the noise is coming from Harlem. In his view, the source could be local.
He said it’s harder to enforce regulations when dealing with two states instead of one.
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New York City’s noise code is designed to balance the city’s nightlife with the needs of residents, according to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Updated in 2007, the rules focus on limiting “excessive and unreasonable” noise that could impact health and safety. Enforcement is handled by the DEP and NYPD.
The guide said background noise in busy areas can make violations harder to assess.
If the noise is coming from Harlem, then “New Jersey and New York would have to reach an agreement,” Brooks said. He said if the source can be identified conclusively, civil legal action could be necessary.
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Specific limits apply to common sources like construction, traffic, animals, air conditioners, food vendors, garbage trucks and amplified music.
For venues that play music, sound cannot exceed 42 decibels inside homes, and between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., it must stay within 7 decibels above the surrounding ambient noise on the street.
“In an urban setting, sound bounces around between buildings, making the true direction difficult to determine,” Brooks said.
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Khanna urges King Charles to meet Epstein victims during Capitol visit
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., tells Fox News he wants King Charles to meet with Epstein victims and others when he comes to Capitol Hill next month to deliver a speech before a Joint Meeting of Congress.
British authorities arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew and the brother of King Charles, in connection with an inquiry into the Epstein matter.
Khanna says King Charles could shed light on what the royal family knew about Andrew or Epstein.
KING CHARLES EXPRESSES ‘DEEPEST CONCERN’ AFTER BROTHER ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR’S ARREST
Khanna tells Fox he wants the King to meet with victims, then with him and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. and the House Oversight Committee.
Khanna stressed that he would request Charles to appear. Fox pressed Khanna on whether he would ask that the King be subpoenaed, but Khanna was not ready to go there yet.
One Oversight Committee source tells Fox that this request is “very delicate” and they risk “an international incident” by asking King Charles to meet with the committee.
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