Good morning, SoCal. Here's what you need to know today.
Your Weather Planner
A sprawling ridge of high pressure will produce a prolonged warming trend with only a minimal marine layer.
An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect starting Tuesday morning for our inland, valley and desert communities.
Very hot conditions will develop with triple-digit heat for many valley and mountain locations through the Labor Day weekend.
This heat may be record-breaking and will likely produce a very high heat illness risk.
Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County
Around SoCal
1. UC Irvine reports $580M in grants and awards
In the last year, the University of California, Irvine has collected $580 million in grants and contracts, allowing researchers and professors to monitor sea levels, or fund clinical trials for cancer treatments.
That figure, covering the fiscal year which ended June 30, is a marked uptick from the $213 million the university banked in 2018.
The last year was even higher, with the school recording $91 million, largely on the strength of $88 million in COVID-19 grants.
UC Irvine has been a steady and important contributor to COVID-19 research, even entering partnerships with private enterprise for use of its research. Businesses contributed $136 million, up $25 million over the previous year.
2. Fire burning brush near San Gabriel Dam in Angeles National Forest
Firefighters are working Tuesday to extinguish a roughly 100-acre brush fire burning near San Gabriel Dam in the Angeles National Forest.
The Gulch Fire was reported late Monday morning near Mile Marker 21 along San Gabriel Canyon Road, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest officials.
As of 1 a.m., the fire was 110 acres and 0% contained with night ops crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest battling the fire.
3. California lawmakers approve landmark fast food workers bill
California lawmakers on Monday advanced a nation-leading measure that would give more than a half-million fast food workers more power and protections, over the objections of restaurant owners who warn it would drive up consumers' costs.
The bill would create a new 10-member Fast Food Council with equal numbers of workers’ delegates and employers’ representatives, along with two state officials, empowered to set minimum standards for wages, hours and working conditions in California.
A late amendment would cap any minimum wage increase for fast food workers at chains with more than 100 restaurants at $22 an hour next year, compared to the statewide minimum of $15.50 an hour, with cost of living increases thereafter.
The Senate approved the measure on a 21-12 vote, with no votes to spare and over bipartisan opposition. That sends it to the Assembly for final action before lawmakers adjourn on Wednesday. Assembly members previously narrowly passed a broader version of the bill.
4. Freeway closed in DTLA due to death investigation
A person jumped from a freeway overpass and died in downtown Los Angeles Monday, prompting a full closure of the southbound Hollywood (101) Freeway.
The person jumped from the overpass at North Broadway, near Grand Park, just before 3:50 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball told City News Service.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene and pronounced the person dead. The person's name was withheld pending notification of relatives.
Caltrans announced all lanes of the southbound side of the Hollywood Freeway at Broadway were closed for an unknown duration as authorities investigated the person's death.
Around the Nation
1. Elon Musk cites whistleblower as new reason to exit Twitter deal
2. Biden to lay out $37B policing, crime prevention proposal Tuesday
3. Capitol rioter who encountered Schumer gets over 4 years in prison
Don't Miss This
Only on Spectrum News 1
Rep. Katie Porter looks to hold gun manufacturers accountable
She has become known for asking simple but direct questions during congressional hearings.
Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, also has a penchant for using props, most notably a white board. These are all part of Porter’s strategy to help inform the public.
Porter sat down with "Inside the Issues" host Alex Cohen to discuss the need for legislation to prevent gun violence and hold gun manufacturers accountable for their roles in mass shootings and other gun-related deaths.
Click the link above to find out more.
SoCal Snapshot
New Zealand celebrates after winning the Los Angeles rugby sevens series final match Sunday against Fiji at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)