Woodland Hills breaks record with 109 degree heat

LOS ANGELES — Southern California roasted Thursday in a record-breaking, end-of-spring heat wave that sent temperatures soaring past 100 degrees in many areas, posing hazards for anyone who ventured outside.

Firefighters worked in extreme heat to corral small brush fires as a strong high-pressure system cooked the air from the Central Coast south to Los Angeles and San Diego.

The National Weather Service warned people to take precautions for heat that could quickly kill children or animals left in cars. Forecasters said “red flag” warnings for fire danger would remain in effect until Saturday night because of northerly winds and low humidity levels. . .

LA mayor, Obama to meet in Miami

LOS ANGELES—Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa plans to meet with Barack Obama this weekend to discuss what role the mayor might take in the presidential campaign, his office said Thursday.

Villaraigosa was a national campaign co-chair for Hillary Rodham Clinton, but he quickly embraced Obama’s candidacy after the New York senator pulled out of the race.

Villaraigosa and Obama will meet behind closed doors Saturday in Miami, where the U.S. Conference of Mayors is holding its four-day annual meeting. Obama is scheduled to address the group over the weekend. . .

California measure targets texting while driving

Newest target? Texting.

Call it a loophole, perhaps, but California’s ban on driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone does not extend to text messaging.

Put simply, adult motorists who can’t hold a phone to their ear beginning July 1 can use the same device to type out messages.

But they’d better hurry.

Legislation proposed Thursday by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, would add texting to the cell phone ban he championed. . .