Good morning! Here’s what you need to know today.
Your Weather Planner
Northerly offshore winds will help bump up temperatures on Friday, and temperatures will warm even more through the weekend.
For the coastal and basin communities, we will see morning marine-layer clouds with afternoon sun.
The long-range forecast shows there is a storm that could bring beneficial rain next week.
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Around SoCal
1. April trial date set for suspect in deadly Palisades wildfire
An April 21 trial date has been set in Los Angeles federal court for Jonathan Rinderknecht, the 29-year-old former Uber driver accused of setting a New Year’s Day fire that prosecutors say smoldered for a week and grew into what became the Palisades Fire that killed a dozen people.
Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty last month to federal charges of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and timber set afire. He remains in federal custody, but is expected to argue for pretrial release at a Nov. 18 hearing in downtown Los Angeles.
If convicted as charged, Rinderknecht would face up to 45 years behind bars, prosecutors said.
2. Ventura proposes higher water and wastewater rates
The City of Ventura is proposing to raise water and wastewater rates by more than 10% each year starting in July 2026 through 2031.
City officials said the proposed rate increases are needed to replace aging infrastructure and for projects such as Ventura Water Pure.
Ventura County residents have until Dec. 9, to submit written protests against the proposed rate increases.
There will be a public hearing on Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. where the City Council will decide whether to approve the rate increases.
3. LA Zoo celebrates first baby orangutan in nearly 15 years
The LA Zoo Thursday is celebrating the arrival of its first baby orangutan in nearly 15 years.
The baby boy Bornean orangutan was born to 43-year-old mother Kalim and 31-year-old father Isim on Oct. 10. Kalim and the baby have been bonding behind the scenes and recently made their public debut together.
The infant can be seen at the zoo’s Red Ape Rain Forest.
According to zoo officials, the baby is the first offspring between Kalim and Isim — and Kalim’s third baby. Before the baby arrived, Kalim’s last child, Elka, had been the last orangutan born at the zoo.
Zoo officials said that orangutans have the longest interbirth interval of all non-human primates, meaning a single infant is born and cared for until about seven to eight years of age before another infant is born.
Mothers spend their time teaching their young how to survive, what food to eat and how to avoid predators.
(Photo courtesy of LA Zoo)
Around the Nation
2. Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November
3. Supreme Court lets Trump block transgender, nonbinary people from choosing passport sex markers
Only on Spectrum News 1
Nova Bakery in Long Beach. (Spectrum News/Vania Patino)
Venezuelan nationals to lose temporary protected status, leaving many in limbo
In May, the Trump administration ended the TPS or Temporary Protected Status program, which allows immigration from certain countries to be in the U.S. legally and provides them with employment authorization.
The program is contingent upon their own countries not being safe to return to, for example because of a civil war posing a serious threat to personal safety, environmental disasters, an epidemic or extraordinary conditions.
Earlier this year, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, deemed Venezuela no longer meets the conditions for this designation.
The decision ended up in court, and after much litigation, in October the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the TPS program for Venezuelans.
According to the federal government, there are about 600,000 Venezuelan nationals under this type of protection; among those was Pierina Barboza’s family.
SoCal Snapshot
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, right, dives in front of the shot of Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart, left, as goaltender Anton Forsberg defends during the second period of Thursday’s NHL game in LA. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)