April 2, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

President Obama Returns to Southern California This Weekend

Obama
President Barack Obama will be in Riverside and Orange counties this weekend, including a stop at the UC Irvine commencement in Anaheim. (Thinkstock)

President Barack Obama, while weighing U.S. options in response to a militant uprising in Iraq, will head to the Southland tonight, spending much of the weekend in Riverside County, but making a swing through Orange County tomorrow to speak at U.C. Irvine’s commencement ceremony.

The president, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, is scheduled to fly into Palm Springs International Airport at 6:20 p.m.on June 13  following a visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation near Cannon Ball in North Dakota.

The Obamas will spend the night in Palm Springs, with the president scheduled to fly to the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base at 9 a.m. Saturday. According to the Democratic National Committee, Obama will take part in a roundtable discussion in Laguna Beach with about 25 supporters who pay up to $32,400.

After the fundraiser, the location of which has not been released, Obama will make his way to Angel Stadium in Anaheim to speak to UC Irvine’s graduating class.

UCI students conducted a large-scale campaign to lure Obama to the event, with students and staff collecting signatures on around 10,000 postcards that were delivered along with a video to the White House.

“We are thrilled that the president has accepted our invitation to deliver the keynote address at our commencement exercises this June,” UCI Chancellor Michael V. Drake said in March when the White House announced Obama’s plans to attend. “We will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies of our campus. We are proud of the progress we have made during our first half-century, and are looking forward to even greater achievements in the years to come.”

President Lyndon B. Johnson took part in the June 1964 dedication ceremony in a pasture that is now home to the university.

More than 8,000 students will receive degrees during UCI graduation ceremonies that will be held over three days, according to the university. The unified event at Anaheim stadium will include all undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, with individual ceremonies planned Sunday and Monday.

As is typical with presidential visits, motorists should anticipate delays and detours. Police said the following closures are being planned Saturday:

– from 8:30 to 8:50 a.m., and from 10 to 10:20 a.m., Pacific Coast Highway will be closed in both directions between Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach to Ledroit Street in Laguna Beach;
– from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Katella Avenue and Douglas Road will be closed in Anaheim; and
– from 1 to 1:10 p.m., the Orange (57) Freeway will be closed in both directions at Katella Avenue.
Obama will return to Los Alamitos following the commencement address, departing at 1:40 p.m. to return to Palm Springs.

The Obamas are scheduled to remain in Palm Springs for the weekend, leaving at 10 a.m. Monday. No details of the couple’s plans for the weekend have been released. It was also unclear if the couple’s two daughters would be accompanying them for Father’s Day weekend.

The trip comes amid a military crisis in Iraq, where an Islamic militant group seized control of Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, raising fears of a pending takeover of the governing city of Baghdad.

Speaking at the White House this morning, Obama said he was not planning to send ground troops into Iraq, but he will weigh other options offered by his national security advisers over the next few days.

“We’ll be monitoring the situation in Iraq very carefully over the next several days,” he said. “Our top priority will remain being vigilant against any threats to our personnel serving overseas. We will consult closely with Congress as we make determinations about appropriate action, and we’ll continue to keep the American people fully informed as we make decisions about the way forward.”

Related Posts

Metro LA Pushes Back Sepulveda Transit Community Meetings

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Environmental Review Delay Prompts Metro to Reschedule  Metro announced that community meetings scheduled for early April to discuss the Sepulveda...

County Board Approves New Homeless Agency, Redirecting Millions from Existing System

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

With Billions on the Line, LA County Moves to Centralize Homeless Response Los Angeles County is making a dramatic shift...

Put the Phone Down: LAPD and CHP Targets Distracted Drivers in April Crackdown

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Hands-Free Law Violations Could Now Cost You More Than Just a Fine Throughout April, the Los Angeles Police Department will...

Five Arrested in Culver City After Attempted Carjacking and Vandalism Incident

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Gun, Warrants, and Broken Glass: Culver City Police Tackle Two Crimes Police arrested four juveniles in connection with an attempted...

Kim Delaney, Partner Cleared After Weekend Arrest in Marina del Rey

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Emmy-Winning Actress and Partner James Morgan Released Kim Delaney, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her roles in NYPD Blue and...

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/fDDgcY6b3e For Tickets and More Information.#amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer #spring...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...

Mid-City Freeway Death Under Investigation After Caltrans Workers Find Blanket-Covered Body

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Woman Discovered on 10 Freeway Shoulder Identified; CHP Launches Probe Caltrans workers discovered a woman’s dead body around 9:00 a.m....

Community Support Saves Beloved West Hollywood Café from Closure

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Packed Tables and Emotional Messages Helped Keep the Doors Open Le Petit Four, the popular Sunset Boulevard café known for...

Egg Beaters Recalled Over Possible Chemical Contamination

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Massive Liquid Egg Recall Includes California Shipments Cargill Kitchen Solutions is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products after...

Los Angeles County’s Measure A Raises Sales Tax On April 1, And It’s No Joke

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Culver City, and Malibu Will See Higher Increases Starting April 1, Los Angeles County residents will...

Robbery Boast on Instagram Helps Send Beverly Hills Heist Suspect to Prison

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Flashy Post, Federal Time: Smash-and-Grab Mastermind Sentenced Ladell Tharpe, 39, received an 84-month sentence from U.S. District Judge George H....

Culver City Rolls Out Hi-Lo Siren to Warn Residents During Emergencies

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Hi-Lo Warning System Activated: Culver City Adds New Evacuation Tool In an effort to strengthen emergency preparedness and public safety,...

Union Workers at UCLA to Strike April 1 Over Staffing Shortages, Labor Disputes

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Healthcare and Research Staff at UC to Strike, Alleging Unfair Labor Practices More than 20,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals...

School of Rock Students Shine in Winter Performance Despite Widespread Fires

March 31, 2025

March 31, 2025

Summer Camp Registration Opens Now By Susan Payne Wildfire devastation wreaked havoc in areas of Los Angeles this January with...