Monica Bushman

On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a historic $12 billion funding package to address the homelessness crisis in the state over the next two years.

Created by artist Kenny Scharf, the 66-foot mural is located at Wall and Winston streets in DTLA's Toy District.

Experts are encouraging everyone — especially young people and those who have previously contracted COVID — to get vaccinated.

Levels of fine particulate matter were the second highest they've been on July 4th and 5th in a decade, but still 14% lower than last year.

The better news: Slightly cooler temperatures are on the way for the interior areas of Southern California.

The state's forced sterilization program — the largest in the country — ran from 1909 to 1979 and left 20,000 people unable to have children.

An excessive heat warning is in effect Wednesday through Monday for the high desert areas of Hesperia, Victorville and Apple Valley. Temperatures could hit 115 degrees this week, and 120 degrees over the weekend.

In the days leading up to the Fourth of July, city and county officials called on Angelenos to leave fireworks to the professionals, especially given the continuing dry conditions this year.

Many law enforcement units are paying extra attention to Fourth of July-related misbehavior.

New data out Thursday on firearms sales in California shows that there was a record increase in the number of handguns legally sold in the state in 2020. From 2019 to 2020 there was a 65.5 percent increase in handgun sales and a 45.9 percent increase in long gun sales, according to the office of state Attorney General Rob Bonta.