Hi, I'm Cairo Jondu here at LA Times Studios.

Let's take a look at the top headlines from the Los Angeles Times.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell is stepping away from the Senate after 40 years.

Bruce Shriner and Kevin Freckham report, McConnell, who was the longest

serving party leader in U.S. history, says he will not seek re-election in 2026.

McConnell shaped conservative politics and set a precedent for hardball partisan tactics by helping

build a right-leaning Supreme Court, pushing tax cuts, and guiding

the Senate through major political showdowns.

But as Trump's populist movement grew, his influence faded.

His retirement shakes up the GOP and Kentucky politics, setting the stage for a fierce Senate race.

With nearly two years left in office, McConnell says he still has unfinished business.

Affordable housing projects on land zoned for single-family homes in the San Fernando

Valley are moving forward, despite opposition from Mayor Karen Bass

and most of the city council.

Reporter Liam Dylan breaks down the drama.

Back in the summer of 2023,

developers proposed over 2,000 affordable apartments in the valley,

but nearly 18 months later, most were abandoned.

Now, after heated battles in City Hall and the courts, a few are pushing ahead.

Critics argued developers exploited a loophole to build where they shouldn't have, but supporters

say it's a necessary step to ease LA's housing crisis.

Mayor Bass has stated her support for affordable housing citywide,

...