Good morning, SoCal. Here's what you need to know today.
Your Weather Planner
Much of Thursday will be dry with more sunshine, and that will cause temperatures to warm up into the 70s.
Enjoy the break because the second wave of rain will arrive late Friday through Saturday.
A dry and warm trend is on the way for the holiday week.
Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County
Around SoCal
1. Los Angeles criticized for its handling of homelessness after 16 homeless people escape freeway fire
The fire erupted after midnight where 16 people were living under the Los Angeles freeway, including a pregnant woman who was only weeks from giving birth.
As the flames engulfed the storage yard and the inferno's heat melted some of the thoroughfare's steel guardrails and concrete pillars, rescue crews were able to get everyone out safely. But the disaster has brought renewed criticism over officials' inability to get homeless residents off the street, leaving tens of thousands living in perilous locations across the nation's second-largest city.
Three years ago, as part of a court order related to a yearslong lawsuit accusing the city and county of Los Angeles of not doing enough to address homelessness, a judge wrote he was concerned about 7,000 people living under freeways, calling it "unreasonably dangerous." County supervisor Hilda Solis said officials have since set aside nearly $300 million to create 6,700 shelter beds, but rows of tents and makeshift shelters are still a common sight under overpasses and along highway ramps.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are now under pressure to not only reopen the section of Interstate 10 as fast as possible, but to find out who started the fire and what oversight the state had on the property. Bass has warned repeatedly against assumptions that homeless residents started the blaze, but that hasn't stopped speculation and blame.
2. SoCal lawmaker reacts to Biden and Xi meeting
President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping outside of San Francisco Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum for the leaders’ first meeting since last November.
Tensions between the two nations have been high in the 12 months since. That meeting drew eyes from across the world — including back in Washington, D.C.
“My parents fled from North Korea, from communism. So you know, I know how their communism works,” said Rep. Michelle Steel, a member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, who said she would watch how the meeting played out Wednesday.
She told Spectrum News she was hoping Biden would address a wide variety of topics, including human rights violations and intellectual property rights.
3. Thousands of California scientists strike over stalled contract talks
Thousands of scientists who work for California began a rolling three-day strike Wednesday — the first walkout by a state civil service union.
Members of the California Association of Professional Scientists marched under cloudy skies in Sacramento to protest lack of progress in contract talks. The walkout will spread to Los Angeles, Oakland and other cities on Thursday and Friday.
The union represents about 5,200 members who work in more than 50 state departments and deal with issues ranging from air pollution and toxic waste control to earthquake hazards and agricultural pests, according to its website.
Members have been without a contract since 2020 despite bargaining and mediation. The membership rejected a tentative agreement earlier this year. Another state mediation session is planned for Nov. 28.
Around the Nation
1. Oakland Athletics' move to Las Vegas approved by MLB owners, AP sources say
2. Police make arrests after protest outside Democratic HQ calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war
3. Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, Will Bynum convicted in NBA insurance fraud scheme
Don't Miss This
Only on Spectrum News 1
Farm to School program supports local farmers, provides healthy food to students
California schools are partnering with local farms to improve the health and well-being of schoolchildren around the state.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture says California schools serve hundreds of millions of meals each year, and expanding opportunities for local food procurement that is tied to food-based education is essential for establishing healthy eating habits that children can carry into adulthood.
Click the link above for the full story.
SoCal Snapshot
People participate in a sit-in demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)