Good evening! We're wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.
Your Weather Planner
It's going to be a sizzler Thursday especially inland where temperatures are forecast to be 10-20 degress above normal.
High pressure will be sitting on top of Southern California so even the coastal areas will see warm conditions.
Please be careful in this heat and do not leave pets or kids inside your car.
Tomorrow's Highs
Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County
Today's Big Stories
1. Officials to discuss efforts to combat sex trafficking along Figueroa corridor
Federal and local officials are expected Wednesday to discuss ongoing efforts to eradicate "human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors" on the Figueroa corridor in South Los Angeles.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón and Los Angeles Police Department interim Chief Dominic Choi will be on hand to discuss the collaborative effort at a news conference at the U.S. Attorney's Office in downtown Los Angeles.
Since last year, a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional trafficking task force has been focused on the stretch of South Figueroa Street known as an epicenter of trafficking and criminal activity.
The task force aims to locate and assist trafficking victims, shut down illegal activity, identify, arrest and convict pimps and traffickers, and disrupt buyers of sex services from minors and trafficking victims. It is not aimed at prosecuting commercial sex workers, Feldstein Soto said.
2. LA28 unveils cast for Paralympic Handover ceremony
Broadway star Ali Stroker, singer Anderson .Paak, jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker and violinist and composer Gaelynn Lea will join Team USA Paralympians and Los Angeles natives Samantha Bosco, Ezra Frech and Jamal Hill for the LA28 Paralympic Handover celebration during Sunday's closing ceremony of the Paris games, organizers announced Wednesday.
The handover, which precedes Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Paralympics, will be broadcast live on CNBC and Peacock at 11 a.m. Pacific Time.
"The LA28 Paralympic Handover will be a historic moment, as Los Angeles prepares to host the city's first-ever Paralympic Games," LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman said. "When Paris hands the flag over to LA, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to spotlight the Paralympics with a cast of allies, artists and advocates who share our commitment to furthering the Movement."
After the Paralympic flag is passed to Los Angeles, Stroker will kick off the handover by singing the U.S. national anthem live at the Stade de France.
3. New car sales increased 8% in August to highest level of the year
Sales of new and used vehicles reached their highest levels of the year in August. New sales were up 8% and used car sales increased 4%, according to the latest auto market report from Cox Automotive.
New vehicle sales are currently 33% above where they were last year at the same time, while used vehicle sales are up 21%.
“Despite concerns heading into the month, the retail vehicle market saw improving demand in August as rates modestly declined,” said Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke.
The average auto loan rate for a new car is currently 9.58%, falling from a peak of 10.01% in June. The average rate for a used auto loan is 13.92%, down from its peak of 14.59% in February.
4. Four killed in shooting at Georgia high school; nine others taken to hospitals
Four people were killed in a shooting at a high school in Georgia on Wednesday that left several others injured and sparked panic at the start of a new school year, officials said.
A suspect is in custody, authorities said.
"Four dead. An additional nine taken to various hospitals with injuries," the Georgia Bureau of Investigation wrote on social media. "Suspect in custody and alive. Reports that the suspect has been ‘neutralized’ are inaccurate."
Shortly before 10:30 a.m., “officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire/EMS personnel were dispatched to the high school in reference to a reported active shooting,” the sheriff's office statement said.
Apalachee High School in Barrow County, about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, was put on lockdown and students gathered in its football stadium. Students had only started the school year a little over a month ago before the shooting Wednesday.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
- Court hearing in Trump’s 6 Jan case after SCOTUS ruled acts covered by presidential immunity. Status conference for former President Donald Trump, charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights of citizens. Charges stem from Department of Justice investigation into attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including the 6 Jan 2021 U.S. Capitol attack
- Hunter Biden tax trial jury selection begins
- President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Wisconsin to highlight 'how his Investing in America agenda is benefiting communities across Wisconsin and ensuring Americans have a brighter, more prosperous future'
- Unemployment weekly claims
- Forbes publishes annual Most Valuable Sports Teams list. The Dallas Cowboys headed the list in 2023, followed by the New York Yankees and Golden State Warriors
- NFL season begins, with Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are the defending champions, having beaten the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Rule changes this season include the removal of the 'hip-drop tackle,' and a overhaul of the kickoff rule, in order to increase action on kickoff returns without causing injury
- Paris 2024 Paralympic Games continue. U.S. para-swimmer Ali Truwit could feature in the 400m S10 freestyle final a year after losing her leg in a shark attack
- Medal events in boccia, goalball, para archery, para-athletics, para-cycling road, para judo, para powerlifting, para-swimming, para table tennis, shooting para-sport, wheelchair fencing, and wheelchair tennis. Other sports today are blind football, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball
In Case You Missed It
Preserving election integrity in Southern California
In a new interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, former President Donald Trump admitted he lost the 2020 election “by a whisker.” This after years of insisting the election was rigged, despite a lack of evidence to support that claim.
Questions about election integrity continue to swirl and that could have a big impact in 2024. According to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll that came out late last year, only about a third of Republicans say they have “a great deal” or “quite a bit of” trust in the election process. Compare that with 72% of Democrats who said they do have faith in the system.
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