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

Your Weather Planner

Friday morning temperatures in the valleys will dip into the 40s instead of 30s, and will dip in the 30s instead of the 20s for the high desert.

During the day, it’ll be partly sunny and mild for our most populated cities west of the mountains. 

For the weekend, it’ll be dry, partly sunny and mild for Saturday, then cooler with a slight chance for light rain on Sunday. 

Tomorrow's Highs

 

Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County

 

Today's Big Stories

1. Lakers tickets skyrocket as LeBron James nears NBA all-time scoring record

With LeBron James on the cusp of breaking the NBA all-time scoring record, people are willing to pay to catch a piece of history.

The average price of a Los Angeles Lakers ticket for next week's games at Crypto.com Arena has nearly tripled as demand to witness James toppling former Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record skyrocketed in recent weeks.

Since Jan. 25, fans, on average, have been paying $681 per ticket for the Feb. 7 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and $674 for the Feb. 9 game against the Bucks, according to Logitix, a tech and analytics company that manages tickets for live events, including sporting events and concerts.

Before Jan. 25, fans paid only $228 per ticket for the Thunder game and $397 for the Bucks game, Logitix officials said. 

James is only 89 points away from surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record of 38,387 points. Abdul-Jabbar played for the Bucks and Lakers over 21 seasons, winning six championships before retiring at 42 in 1984. With a nearly unblockable sky hook, Abdul-Jabbar is considered one of the greatest NBA players. 

2. Police: 'High chance' of Hollywood mass shooting prevented

A “high chance” of a mass shooting in Hollywood was thwarted Tuesday by police seizing a cache of guns and ammunition in a high-rise apartment where several rifles were pointed toward a nearby park, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Braxton Johnson was taken into custody Tuesday after he allegedly made violent threats involving weapons to security staff at the apartment building and people outside, the agency said the following day.

A search of Johnson's apartment turned up two assault rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines, all of which are illegal in California, as well as three handguns, a sniper rifle, a shotgun and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Investigators have not said whether they uncovered any additional evidence of a plot to target the park, or Johnson’s motive in pointing the rifles toward the area. Details about the threats he allegedly made Tuesday have also not been released.

3. LA launches 9 community centers focused on peace and healing

Nine community centers that aim to serve as spaces for environmental, social and economic healing opened Thursday as part of a $2 million pilot program by the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department.

The department launched what it calls Peace & Healing Centers in communities where pollution and overcrowding ranks among the highest in Los Angeles. The centers will offer at least 20 hours of healing programming a week, aiming to provide safe spaces during times of crisis. Activities could include art, youth mentoring and community gardening.

“Too often, communities suffering from historic neglect are continually ignored,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.

The centers will be run by eight community-based organizations.

4. Grammys to include celebration of 50 years of hip hop

Sunday’s Grammy Awards will feature an all-star celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, the Recording Academy announced Thursday.

LL Cool J will introduce the segment and also perform during the tribute, which will be produced and arranged by Questlove, with music provided by The Roots and narrated by Black Thought.

Performing during the segment will be Big Boi, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, De La Soul, DJ Drama, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Missy Elliott, Future, GloRilla, Grandmaster Flash, Grandmaster Mele Mel & Scorpio/Ethiopian King, Ice-T, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, The Lox, Method Man, Nelly, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, Rahiem, Rakim, RUN-DMC, Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella, Scarface, Swizz Beatz, and Too $hort.

“For five decades, hip hop has not only been a defining force in music, but a major influence on our culture,” Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.

Trevor Noah will host the Grammy telecast, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, airing on CBS. It’s Noah’s third year in a row hosting the event. 

(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

5. Biden to hold follow-up call on debt ceiling in coming days, McCarthy says

In response to a question from Spectrum News, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday told reporters that President Joe Biden would call the California Republican in the coming days to further discuss the debt ceiling.

McCarthy's comments come one day after a high-stakes meeting with Biden about the country's debt limit, after which the California Republican said he believes that he and the president can find "common ground." 

The meeting was the latest in the standoff between the White House and House Republicans over the country’s borrowing limit after the U.S. reached the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling last month. The Treasury Department has begun using “extraordinary measures” to fund operations and allow the country to continue paying its debts, which are expected to run out in June.

"The next step is very clear: We left it that he'll give me a call a couple days to set up the next meeting," McCarthy said in response to a question from Spectrum News' Cassie Semyon. "Not who would come, not any of that."


Your Notes for Tomorrow

  • Monthly employment report
  • President Biden discusses economic agenda in Philadelphia
  • President Biden and Harris attend DNC Winter Meeting
  • NHL All-Star Weekend​
  • Comedy “80 for Brady” starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field released in theaters
  • National Wear Red Day & Bubble Gum Day

In Case You Missed It

Lakers look to build momentum as LeBron closes in on Kareem’s scoring record

After an overtime win over the New York Knicks, the Lakers look to build some momentum heading into the last two games of the Grammy road trip.

Allie Clifton, Chris McGee and Mike Bresnahan discuss the Lakers push for the postseason, the impact of new Laker Rui Hachimura and they look forward to when LeBron James will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for first on the league’s all-time scoring list.

Click the link above to listen to the full episode.