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
Saturday will start out with above normal temperatures and mostly sunny skies. That means those inland temperatures will climb quickly. So, if you have anything physical to do outside, get it done early.
Inland communities will feel 80s by 9:00am and 90s by noon!
Also, remember to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water or sports drinks with electrolytes.
Skies will be mostly sunny except for the mountains, where widespread showers and thunderstorms will bubble up in the afternoon.
A few showers or storms could drift over adjacent deserts and valleys.
Tomorrow's Highs
Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County
Today's Big Stories
1. Suspect in shooting of Arcadia officer charged with attempted murder
A man accused of opening fire on Arcadia police officers responding to a domestic-disturbance call at his family's home, striking one officer in the face and sparking an hours-long standoff, was charged Friday with five counts of attempted murder of a peace officer.
Nurhan Venk, 47, was also charged with another attempted murder count for allegedly shooting his 73-year-old mother in the chest during the Wednesday night rampage, according to the District Attorney's Office. That charge includes a sentence-enhancing elder-abuse allegation.
He was also charged with one count of mayhem and two counts of elder abuse, with prosecutors saying Venk allegedly beat his mother during the disturbance.
An 83-year-old man who lives across the street from the Venk home was struck in the face by a stray bullet. Sheriff's officials said all three shooting victims were expected to survive.
Venk appeared in a Pasadena courthouse Friday afternoon, but his arraignment was postponed until Sept. 14. He was ordered to remain jailed without bail.
2. OC COVID-19 hospitalizations inch up again
The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Orange County hospitals continued ticking back up as the death toll for last month nears 100, but testing-positivity rates are declining, according to data released Friday by the Orange County Health Care Agency.
From Monday through Thursday, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 went from 282 to 291, while the number of intensive care unit patients increased from 40 to 44.
From July 1-31, 146 patients admitted directly for COVID-19 were designed as incompletely vaccinated or unvaccinated. Another 39 received the primary series of shots, and 57 received booster shots.
According to the county, 71.2% of hospital patients are incompletely vaccinated or totally unvaccinated. The percentage in intensive care is 72%.
The county has 26.4% of its ICU beds available. Officials become concerned if that level falls below 20%.
The county's testing positivity rate decreased from 16.7% to 15.6% and declined from 20% to 18.3% in the health equity quartile, which measures the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.
3. LA City Council moves forward on implementing LAPD military equipment policy
The Los Angeles City Council moved forward on implementing an ordinance that would adopt the Los Angeles Police Department’s military equipment-use policy Friday, over objections from a few council members and activists who raised concerns about the LAPD’s proposed report.
The council did not vote on adopting the report Friday, but sided 9-3 to request that the city attorney prepare an ordinance, and the Board of Police Commissioners concurrently amend language regarding mutual aid requests.
Council members Mike Bonin, Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Nithya Raman voted against the item. The item was pursuant to Assembly Bill 481, which was passed last year in response to the murder of George Floyd in an attempt to increase the accountability and transparency of law enforcement. AB 481 requires all law enforcement agencies in California to establish and publish policies governing the use of military equipment. The policies must be approved by the city council, and agencies must publish annual public reports on using and acquiring military equipment beginning next year.
4. Gov. Newsom proposes extending nuclear plant's life
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday proposed extending the life of the state’s last operating nuclear power plant by at least five to 10 years to maintain reliable power supplies in the climate change era.
A draft bill obtained by The Associated Press said the plan would allow the plant to continue operating beyond a scheduled closing by 2025.
The draft proposal also includes a possible loan for operator Pacific Gas & Electric for up to $1.4 billion.
The proposal was confirmed by Newsom spokesman Anthony York. The bill says impacts of climate change are occurring sooner than anticipated and are simultaneously driving up electrical demand while reducing power supplies.
5. House Democrats pass sweeping climate, health care bill, delivering Biden major win
The House of Representatives on Friday passed a sweeping climate, health care and tax bill, delivering President Joe Biden and Democrats a major victory on key social goals ahead of November's midterm elections.
The bill passed in a 220-207 vote, with all Democrats voting to pass the bill, sending it to President Biden's desk without any Republican support. The measure passed through the Senate last weekend in similar fashion, with all 50 Democrats supporting the bill and all 50 Republicans opposed, forcing Vice President Kamala Harris to break the tie.
The roughly $740 billion measure includes the largest investment to fight climate change in U.S. history and allows Medicare to negotiate the prices on some prescription drugs. It also establishes a 15% corporate minimum tax on companies worth $1 billion or more, enhances IRS enforcement and introduces an excise tax on stock buybacks.
"Today, the American people won. Special interests lost," President Joe Biden wrote in a Twitter post, echoing the White House's midterm message about victories over special interests. "With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in the House, families will see lower prescription drug prices, lower health care costs, and lower energy costs. I look forward to signing it into law next week."
6. Search warrant shows documents taken from Trump's home included classified material
A federal court on Friday unsealed the warrant used in the recent search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, days after federal agents conducted an hours-long search of the property on Monday.
The warrant showed that the FBI recovered documents labeled "top secret" from Trump's residence and showed that agents were investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one under the Espionage Act.
The warrant says that "all physical documents and records constituting evidence, contraband, fruits of crime, or other items illegally possessed in violation of" three criminal statutes: 18 U.S. Code § 793 — a subsection of the Espionage Act related to gathering, transmitting or losing defense information; 18 U.S. Code § 2071 — relating to concealment, removal, or mutilation of government records; and 18 U.S. Code § 1519 — destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations and bankruptcy.
Your Notes for this Weekend
- Dodgers play the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at 4:10 p.m.
- LA Angels play the Minnesota Twins at 6:07 p.m. on Saturday
- President Biden vacations in South Carolina this weekend
- Congressional primary elections scheduled in Hawaii on Saturday
- Sunday is VJ Day, marking Japanese surrender ending WWII in 1945
- National Navajo Code Talkers Day History is on Sunday
In Case You Missed It
Nisei Week Japanese Fest returns to Little Tokyo
Measuring five city blocks at the edge of downtown, Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood. But starting Saturday, it will be the site of one of LA’s largest and longest-running Japanese cultural experiences when the 80th annual Nisei Week returns as an in-person event after two years of COVID-induced virtual programming.
Free and family friendly, Nisei Week kicks off Saturday morning with the crowning of this year’s Nisei Week Queen and a special viewing of bonsai, calligraphy, ikebana and other Japanese objects on display inside the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. The opening weekend concludes with a grand parade featuring Japanese dancers, live music and floats.
The parade, Hayashi said, has been held every year since 1934 except during World War II and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click the link above for more information.