Evening Briefing: May 20, 2026

Good evening! We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

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Today’s Big Stories

1. Santa Monica Pier again ranked among California’s most polluted beaches

The Santa Monica Pier ranked among one of California’s most polluted beaches again, according to Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card released Wednesday ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

The environmental nonprofit’s 2025-26 report placed the Pier second on its annual “Beach Bummer” list of beaches with the poorest summer dry-weather water quality grades because of elevated bacteria levels and chronic pollution concerns.

Playa Blanca near Tijuana ranked as the state’s most polluted beach, while the Tijuana Slough at the Tijuana River Mouth in San Diego County also made the top 10 list.

The report’s Beach Bummer rankings were:

Playa Blanca near Tijuana;
Santa Monica Pier;
Erckenbrack Park in San Mateo County;
Linda Mar Beach at San Pedro Creek in San Mateo County;
Parkside Aquatic Park in San Mateo County;
Pillar Point Harbor’s Capistrano Road Beach in San Mateo County;
Pillar Point Harbor’s Harbor Beach in San Mateo County;
Marlin Park in San Mateo County;
Tijuana Slough at the Tijuana River Mouth in San Diego County; and
Clam Beach County Park at Strawberry Creek in Humboldt County.

According to Heal the Bay, California beaches overall maintained relatively strong water quality, with 91% earning A or B grades during summer dry conditions.

2. Eaton Fire survivors say rebuild efforts are struggling and they need state leaders to step up

It’s emotional, says Adrianna Bautista of the ongoing struggle to rebuild Altadena, a haven for many, which was devastated by last year’s Eaton Fire.

“I think anybody who has lived there, you know, even a short while, can tell you that there’s a special spirit in Altadena,” said Bautista, fighting back tears. “And it is because we have a Black community and a brown community and a queer community who are loved.”

Bautista said she’s thankful she and her father didn’t lose their place entirely, when so many of her community lost everything. There are still issues in her home from smoke damage and other toxins, but she said they don’t have anywhere else to live.

“I do not feel 100% safe living in our home,” Bautista said. “We have been able to test for lead in our soil through a county program. And the lead levels are high.”

3. Man accused of sparking Los Angeles’ deadly Palisades Fire appears in court ahead of arson trial

The man accused of sparking the deadly Palisades Fire in Los Angeles is appearing in court for a preliminary hearing ahead of his arson trial next month. Jonathan Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history.

It began Jan. 7, 2025, in hillside neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu and killed 12 people. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1 that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. Rinderknecht’s trial is set to begin June 8.

His attorneys say he is being used as a scapegoat for the fire department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.