July 4, 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

(Video) A visit to New York Bagel & Deli in Santa Monica

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Authentic NY Style Bagels with Extra Creamy Cream Cheese and Multi-Cultural Desserts. Located at 2216 Wilshire Blvd. A visit to...

Hot Dogs & Rosé: Something About Her and The Culver Hotel Roll Out Summer Specials

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Westside Venues to Serve Playful Bites and Seasonal Sips For the Holiday Weekend A bold new offering is making its...

NeueHouse Hosts Bold One-Night Dinner With Culinary Phenomenon Diego Argoti

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Acclaimed Chef Brings Culinary Mischief With a Five-Course Tasting Experience. NeueHouse Hollywood will host an exclusive, one-night-only dining event on...

(Video) Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Go To Homefrontbuild.com For More Information @home_front_build Legacy, Reimagined: Architecture, Design & Construction by Home Front Build Los Angeles Go...

405 Crash Near the Getty Sends Three to Hospital: Two Seriously Hurt Near Site Where LAPD Sgt. Died

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

Early Morning Multi-Vehicle Collision Shut Down Lanes Near Brentwood Three men were injured and traffic was snarled for hours following...

(Video) Jikoni, the AfriCali PopUp from celebrated cookbook author Kiano Moju Has Been Extended Until July 3 at Citizen Public Market

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Bold Flavors and Spice Merge with Crisp, Chewy Chapati. Delicious With a Caring Chef and Staff. Jikoni, the AfriCali PopUp...

Pentagon Orders Troop Drawdown in LA: 150 National Guard Members Reassigned to Wildfire Duty

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Federal Forces Begin Partial Withdrawal From Protest Response as California Leaders Push Back U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday that 150...

California Highway Patrol Deploys for Independence Day Enforcement Surge

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

All Available Officers to Hit California Highways for Holiday Weekend As Californians gear up for Fourth of July festivities, the...

Court Postpones Arraignment for Driver in Malibu Crash That Killed Four Students

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Fraser Michael Bohm Faces Murder Charges in Fatal PCH Wreck  The arraignment for Fraser Michael Bohm, the 23-year-old man accused...

(Video) Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, Holly J. Mitchel, Gives a Powerful Speech

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Supervisor Mitchell Called on Residents to take action at the rally for Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano in Culver City.

Top Military Commander Urges Return of Troops Deployed to ICE Protest Response

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

General Requests 200 National Guard Soldiers Be Returned to California Wildfire Unit The senior U.S. military officer overseeing federal forces...

Second Victim Killed Alongside LAPD Sergeant in Brentwood 405 Crash Identified

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Authorities Confirm Garcia, 34, Died at the Scene, GoFundMe Launched  Authorities have identified the civilian who was killed alongside a...

The Westside Lights Up for July 4: Fireworks, Drone Shows, and Parades Return Across West Los Angeles

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

From Marina Del Rey’s Fireworks to Culver City’s 1980s-Themed Drone Show, Get Ready to Celebrate From fireworks over Marina del...

California Judge Rules FAIR Plan’s Smoke Damage Policy Unlawful

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

Court Says Wildfire Insurance Program Illegally Denied Claims Legal protections for California homeowners took a step forward this week after...

(Video) Culver City Residents and City and County Leaders Rally for Disappeared Ice Cream Man Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

US Representative for California’s 37th Congressional District, Sydney Kamlager-Dove Speaks About What is happening to the disappeared.