Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, August 20, 2025…

It’s heating up here in California! From the deserts of Southern California to the foothills of the Sierra and parts of the Bay Area, we’re looking at triple-digit temperatures and dangerous fire weather through the weekend.
It’s the first few weeks of school and for some families, the usual back-to-school stress, like packing lunches and making the morning bus, is now mixed with more serious concern: immigration enforcement near campuses. A group of volunteers in San Diego is trying to ease some of the stress.
In the Inland Empire, two nurses accused of trying to stop immigration agents from arresting a man at a surgery center have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault.

Extreme Heat And Fire Weather Arrives In Southern California

Extreme heat is expected to bear down on Southern California starting Wednesday in what meteorologists are calling the most significant heat wave of the summer. For the rest of the week, temperatures are expected to be 10 to 15 degrees hotter than normal across the region, prompting warnings from public health officials to take precautions.

Across the rest of the state, inland areas could hit triple digits in the coming days.

Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said thunderstorms are also potentially on the horizon late this week into the weekend. That could cool things down, but it also raises the risk of local flooding and fires sparked by dry lightning. “We can get explosive fire behavior if a fire forms in a very hot, unstable environment,” Cohen said. “So once a fire takes off, it pretty much develops a [weather] system of its own and can grow explosively and rapidly, even if the winds aren’t that strong.” In anticipation of the fire risk, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday deployed a contingent of firefighting resources to be on standby, including fire engines, bulldozers, aircraft and hand crews to Los Angeles County.

Advocates Organize Patrols To Protect Against ICE Actions Near San Diego Schools

On their first week back from summer break, some teachers at Lincoln High School in San Diego County welcomed students by handing out “know-your-rights” fliers. Written in both English and Spanish, the fliers tell people what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents try to arrest immigrants near schools.

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Rene Zambrano, a Lincoln High School teacher and member of the San Diego immigrant advocacy group Unión del Barrio, recruited a few students to distribute fliers Tuesday morning while he spoke to concerned parents dropping off their kids. “Let me give you some information, we’re doing some awareness against ICE,” Zambrano told a dad driving a mini van. “We want to tell the community that it’s safe to come to school.”

Unión del Barrio and another local group, the Association of Raza Educators, trained approximately 100 teachers over the summer break. This comes as demand for know-your-rights information is high — especially after ICE agents detained parents near schools in Chula Vista and Linda Vista earlier this month.

In response to community concern over recent ICE actions, Unión del Barrio and Association of Raza Educators are launching “teacher patrols” throughout San Diego. The patrols involve volunteers driving around campuses looking for undercover ICE agents and teachers welcoming students outside of schools.

Ontario Nurses Arrested For Allegedly Blocking Immigration Arrest Have Felony Charges Dropped

Last month, two nurses were arrested by federal officials for allegedly blocking an immigration arrest at a surgery center in Ontario. On Tuesday, both nurses pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault.

Several nurses at the Ontario Advanced Surgery Center can be seen on video asking immigration agents if they had a warrant for Honduran gardener Denis Guillen-Solis, who they were trying to arrest. Jose de Jesus Ortega and Danielle Davila, both nurses at the center, were arrested on July 25 and 26 for trying to hold back the agents.

In a press release, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli shared that the nurses were arrested for assaulting an agent, intimidation and conspiracy. The official complaint shared to members of the media shows that Ortega and Davila are being charged with a single misdemeanor assault.

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Heat Wave Brings Dangerously Hot Conditions, Increased Fire Risk