President Donald Trump said he’d withhold wildfire disaster aid to California unless Gov. Gavin Newsom goes his way on water. Newsom appears to have gotten the message.
The governor has been working hard to show he also wants to send more water to the state’s farmers and cities ahead of his trip to Washington, D.C., today, where he met with lawmakers and Trump to make the pitch for federal recovery funds for the Los Angeles fires.
Periods of light rain can be expected across San Diego County for early Thursday and Friday mornings. The scattered showers will come along with a steady increase in clouds and overcast conditions with temperatures at their coolest this week. The heaviest accumulations of rain are favored for North County with totals dwindling as you move south.
Immigration and border security will be the likely focus of U.S.-Mexico relations under the new Trump administration. But there also is a growing water crisis along the U.S.–Mexico border that affects tens of millions of people on both sides, and it can only be managed if the two governments work together.
Climate change is shrinking surface and groundwater supplies in the southwestern U.S. Higher air temperatures are increasing evaporation rates from rivers and streams and intensifying drought. Mexico is also experiencing multiyear droughts and heat waves.
Spotty rainfall is forecast to touchdown in San Diego County this week ahead of Super Bowl weekend, bringing much-needed precipitation to the local foothill and valley communities that have been under fire threat in recent months. The incoming weather systems are projected to bring rain across Southern California’s coastal communities, including the burn-scarred hills and mountains around Los Angeles, raising fears of mudflows and flash flooding.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently revived his relationship with President Donald Trump as he pushes for federal assistance for the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires, is traveling to Washington for Wednesday meetings with Trump and Republican officials. Newsom’s aides confirmed he left the state midday Tuesday. The planned meetings at the White House and likely Capitol Hill follow what Trump and Newsom described as a cordial phone conversation in recent days — part of a breakthrough in their on-again, off-again dynamic that had effectively ended shortly before the president left office in 2021.
In the wake of the Southern California wildfires in January, the safety of the water supply came into question as ash and particulate matter traveled from fire zones and into surrounding areas. Many people want some clarification about how safe their water is, what’s being done to monitor water conditions, what the orders mean and more. ABC7 Eyewitness News talked to LADWP Director of Water Quality Jonathan Leung to answer your questions and more.
The Trump administration’s efforts to block federal spending are disrupting one of the most critical — and typically bipartisan — functions of government: providing clean, safe and affordable water.
Days after President Trump startled some of his most ardent supporters in California’s San Joaquin Valley by having the Army Corps of Engineers suddenly release water from two dams, many in the region and beyond were still perplexed.
Lake Shasta waters lapped 30 feet from its top after an atmospheric river dropped more than 8 inches of rain in the Redding area since last Friday — and a new storm is expected to bring more rain to the region.
San Diego County is experiencing mild and dry weather, but rain is likely on the way later in the week, forecasters said.
