By Gloria Pazmino, CNN

New York (CNN) — It will be a make-or-break test for mayors across the country: A weekend snowstorm so intense that it could hit two-thirds of the American population and shut down schools, roads and critical infrastructure for days to come.

For Zohran Mamdani, nearly a month into the job as mayor of New York City, it’s a challenge he’s been anticipating for a while.

“This is the calm before the storm,” Mamdani said Friday during a press briefing outlining the city’s preparations.

Over the next three days, Mamdani will face the most crucial moment of his nascent administration, something that could indelibly set New Yorkers’ perception of whether he can run the nation’s largest city.

From John Lindsay to Michael Bloomberg to Bill de Blasio, there’s a long list of New York City mayors who have suffered the political consequences of bungling a storm. Mamdani faces heightened scrutiny as a 34-year-old former state assemblyman whose opponents during last year’s campaign repeatedly questioned if he had the experience for an emergency just like this one.

“He’s got something to prove in a way that is unique to him, and he seems to know it,” said Eric Phillips, who served as de Blasio’s chief spokesperson, in an interview.

Multiple officials in City Hall told CNN the mayor’s press office has been poring over how previous storm coverage played out for other mayors as part of their strategy to communicate and make sure that New Yorkers know they are prepared.

“The public rightfully holds mayors accountable because it’s a reflection of how government handles something that is their responsibility – take out the trash, plow the snow, and clean the streets,” Phillips said. “The worry for some people was that he would not be able to handle these managerial operational moments, so this is a real test of that.”

A preemptive media blitz

Mamdani spent Friday morning doing television and radio appearances, including an interview with The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore from a high-rise rooftop in the middle of Times Square.

Then he donned a New York City Emergency Management jacket with the word “mayor” embroidered on it, walked into the agency headquarters in downtown Brooklyn and delivered a briefing outlining the city’s plan. He said thousands of sanitation workers, thousands of snowplows, hundreds of salt spreaders and 700 million pounds of salt are ready to go.

“This weekend is going to be cold, it is going to be windy, and above all else, it is going to be a weekend where your city is prepared,” Mamdani said. “Across every single level of government, we are working together to ensure that our streets are being kept clear, that New Yorkers are safeguarded, and that the most vulnerable among us are being connected with shelter.”

And he apologized to the city’s public-school students.

Mamdani has not yet decided whether schools will close on Monday. A final decision will be made by Sunday at noon. But children should expect remote instruction no matter what.

“I have to apologize to the students that were hoping for a di

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Friday, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office issued a warning to the public about a scam were people are impersonating the District Attorney in emails and text messages.

These communications are fraudulent stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office in a press release about the scam.

Scammers are posing as the local prosecutor and asking people to purchase gift cards or reply to the message with a "convenient" phone number explained the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, their office will never ask for gift cards, personal information, or phone numbers through unsolicited emails or texts.

Each message tries to create a sense of urgency and uses a well-known elected official to gain the trust of the public.

This is a form of phishing, or scams intended to collect personal information or money by impersonating trusted people or organizations, and there are a few tips the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office shared Friday that you can use to protect yourself and your information.

Phishing Tips

Do not respond to unsolicited emails or texts. Scammers send these messages from trusted sources hoping you respond.

Never provide personal or financial information to people you don't know or can't confirm. Legitimate organizations can and will confirm their identity.

Be careful about unconventional methods of sending money. Sending money using gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers are key indicators that the request may be a scam.

Be cautious about what you post on social media and online. Information about yourself, such as your location and activities, can be used to create more trust for scammers.

Be vigilant of phishing attempts from trusted sources. Messages from elected officials, celebrities, or high-profile people are often used to scam people into sending money or private information.

What to do if you are a victim of a scam

If you, or someone you know, believes they are the victim of a scam, you can call the District Attorney's Scam Hotline at 805-568-2442.

If the situation is urgent, or if you are afraid for your safety, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office encourages you to contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

The post District Attorney’s Office warns of scammers impersonating the local prosecutor appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Jeff Zeleny, Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — The Republican National Committee voted Friday to hold a midterm political convention, launching an unusual GOP festival that President Donald Trump will headline in hopes of rallying supporters to focus on the critical fall fight for control of Congress.

To fulfill Trump’s wish of staging a political convention later this year, Republican leaders had to change party rules that previously only called for a convention during presidential election years. They did so by unanimously passing a resolution Friday during the party’s winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California, an RNC official said.

A memo obtained by CNN said the rule change allows for the “possibility of an America First midterm convention-style gathering aligned with President Trump’s vision for energizing the party this fall.”

For months, the president has been signaling his interest in holding a 2026 political convention, saying last year the event would “show the great things we have done since the Presidential Election of 2024.”

The new rule requires the convention be called at least 60 days in advance. The White House will determine the date and location in the coming weeks, GOP officials said, with Las Vegas among the cities under serious consideration.

The decision to hold the first GOP political convention during a non-presidential election year underscores the degree to which Republicans are placing Trump at the center of the party’s strategy and attempting to nationalize midterm races.

The stakes are remarkably high for Trump. In his first term, Republicans lost control of the House after the 2018 midterms, allowing the Democratic-run House to open impeachment proceedings the following year and probes of his finances, his businesses and the operations of the White House.

“You gotta win the midterms,” Trump said, speaking at a retreat for Republican lawmakers earlier this month in Washington. “If we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be be – I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me.”

Democrats are counting on Trump to motivate their voters too. They hold a 5-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot, the same edge they had in polling at a similar point in 2018. And Trump has lost significant standing since his second inauguration with independent voters and key voting blocs, with a recent CNN poll finding a majority of Americans consider his first year in office to have been a failure.

Democrats also have floated holding a midterm convention but a final decision has not been made. They last held a midterm convention more than four decades ago.

GOP officials acknowledge the potential risks of putting Trump at the center of their midterm election fight. But they say their best chances in November rely upon Trump motivating his base, particularly those who may not otherwise vote in the 2026 contests.

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, is a leading proponent of that argument.

“Typically in the midterms it’s not about who’s sitting at the White House. You localize the election, and you keep the federal officials out of it,” Wiles said in an interview last year with “The Mom View,” a cons

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - After three seasons as head coach of the UCSB women's volleyball team, Matt Jones has taken an associate head coaching position at USC.

In his first season leading UCSB Jones was the Big West Coach of the Year in 2023, guiding the Gauchos to a league title at 17-1 and an NCAA Tournament berth.

This past season the Gauchos tied for second in the Big West with a 14-4 league mark.

Jones finished with an overall record of 64-30 in his three seasons as head coach of UCSB.

The search for a new Gauchos head coach is underway.

Prior to Jones leaving, the Gauchos did lose standout Eva Travis who transferred to Wisconsin.

The outside hitter was All-Big West Second Team this past season after claiming Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2024.

The post UCSB Volleyball loses head coach Matt Jones to USC, Travis transfers to Wisconsin appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By CNN Lead Meteorologist Brandon Miller

(CNN) — A major winter storm, one of the most extreme and expansive in years, is starting to develop over the Plains and will impact much of the United States.

Over the next few days, the storm will drop up to a foot of snow and crippling amounts of ice over an area spanning 2,000 miles from Texas to New England.

Here’s a look at what to expect in a few major cities in the path of the storm. All times are in eastern.

Dallas

Dallas will get mostly ice from this storm, though it will experience all types of precipitation over the next 48 hours, including rain, ice and sleet.

Sporadic rain Friday will turn to freezing rain and ice around midnight that will continue off and on until Sunday morning. An inch or two of snow could then fall on top of the ice Sunday morning.

When will precipitation fall?

• Rain: Friday 9 a.m. – Saturday 12 a.m.

• Freezing rain: Saturday 12 a.m. – Sunday 6 a.m.

• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – Sunday 12 a.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 3 a.m. – Sunday 3 a.m.

• Snow: Sunday 6 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.25 – 0.50 inches

• Snow: 1 – 3 inches

Memphis

Cities like Memphis that are between the storm’s expansive footprint of snow and ice will likely switch back and forth between the two as temperatures change both at the ground level and higher up in the atmosphere.

Snow will likely begin early Saturday morning before changing over to sleet and freezing rain on Saturday afternoon. Freezing rain will continue and off until Sunday afternoon before a quick changeover back to snow as the colder air rushes in.

When will precipitation fall?

• Snow: Saturday 4 a.m. – Saturday 2 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.

• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 12 p.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 4 p.m. – Sunday 8 a.m.

• Snow: Saturday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.25 – 0.75 inches

• Snow and sleet: 2 – 4 inches

Atlanta

Atlanta is also on the edge between precipitation types, but between rain and freezing rain instead of ice and snow. Some light rain on Saturday will likely changeover to freezing rain Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Warmer air should change it back into rain on Sunday afternoon before the really cold air moves in Monday morning.

When will precipitation fall?

• Rain: Saturday 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. – Sunday 10 p.m.
• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.

Peak impact timing:

• Freezing rain: Saturday 10 p.m. – Sunday 10 a.m.

Storm totals:

• Ice: 0.1 – 0.3 inches

Louisville

If you like snow, Louisville will be one of the big winners in this storm. The city will be just north of the freezing rain line so it s