Good morning! Here’s what you need to know today.

Your Weather Planner

Changes are slowly taking shape as two storm systems are approaching SoCal.

For Friday, expect morning marine-layer clouds and patchy fog for the morning. For the afternoon, expect mid and high clouds to thicken up going into the evening hours.

This weekend will be cooler, and off-and-on showers with possible thunderstorms will arrive Sunday.



Introducing Spectrum News+
Watch the latest news from across the country.

Around SoCal

1. Artemis II crew, piloted by SoCal native, set for splashdown off San Diego

NASA’s Artemis II mission, piloted by a Southern California native, was expected to return to Earth Friday, with a splashdown planned off the coast of San Diego after traveling around the far side of the moon and farther from Earth than any humans in history.

The mission surpassed the previous distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 at 248,655 miles during its lunar flyby Monday, according to NASA.

The roughly six-hour lunar loop marked a key milestone in NASA’s first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo era, sending three Americans and one Canadian around the moon as part of plans to land astronauts near the lunar south pole within the next two years.

Among the astronauts aboard is Victor Glover, a Southern California native who was born in Pomona, attended Ontario High School and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Serving as pilot of the Orion spacecraft, he is the first person of color to take part in a lunar mission.

2. Bass and Jurado announce $300M plan to boost affordable housing

Mayor Karen Bass Thursday announced a plan to allocate some $300 million in Measure ULA funding for affordable housing production, and another $14 million for emergency rental assistance.

“For decades, Angelenos have been forced to bear the burden of rising rents and eviction notices because City Hall failed to deliver housing and support for tenants. We are changing that broken system,” Bass said in a statement. “This historic investment will provide relief to renters impacted by last year’s fires and will increase LA’s affordable housing supply.”

“I want every Angeleno to be able to afford to live in their neighborhood,” Bass added.

City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, chair of a recently formed ad hoc committee to reform Measure ULA, members of Centro de Ayuda and tenants joined Bass for the announcement Thursday morning.

Bass and Jurado acknowledged the $300 million plan for affordable housing production still requires a vote from the ULA ad hoc committee and City Council before it can be enacted.

3. LAUSD launches website, prepares student resources amid looming strike

Los Angeles Unified School District Thursday launched a website with resources for families and students in preparation for a potential work stoppage next week.

Families and students can go to SchoolUpdates.lausd.org for ongoing updates related to ongoing negotiations between the district and its labor partners. The district announced it is prioritizing clear and timely communication during this heightened period of uncertainty.

District officials have also prepared contingency plans in case negotiations with three of its unions fall through.

The website has information on food distribution sites, learning and mental health resources, alternative child care options, as well as tech support for devices and connectivity.

Around the Nation

1. House Republicans block Democrats’ latest bid for war powers resolution

2. Trump administration proposes gutting rules targeting coal plant ash that threatens groundwater

3. Netanyahu authorizes direct talks with Lebanon in potential boost to ceasefire efforts

Only on Spectrum News 1

(Spectrum News/Ryan Thompson)

Energy secretary urges California to embrace oil as local refineries shut

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright visited Los Angeles Wednesday with a message for California leaders: expand oil production.

“We’re doing everything we can at a federal level,” Wright said. “Our goal is to get California and every other state to work with us.”

The Trump administration has been pushing the state to increase drilling both on land and offshore, arguing it could help bring down gas prices and reduce the state’s reliance on foreign oil.

Federal officials recently approved permits to restart offshore operations near Santa Barbara.

The visit comes as Californians face some of the highest gas prices in years, driven in part by market instability tied to the war in Iran. Concerns about disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have added pressure to already tight markets.

At the same time, California’s refining capacity is shrinking.

Click the link above for the full story.