Tangled Whale Freed; How To Cut Your Commute; Renters On Edge; Today Around Echo Park-Silver Lake

LOS ANGELES, CA — Here are the Los Angeles and Orange County Patch stories people are talking about today.

• Tangled Humpback Whale Freed In Dana Point Researchers, rescue crews and others gathered to help free this juvenile humpback whale from its plight off the Dana Point coastline.
• Six Tips To Make Your Commute Faster Getting from Point A to Point B in Southern California can be a pain, but these six tips will make your commute a little bit better.
• Trump Stance On Affirmative Action Is Affront To Our Values: LA School Board President LAUSD Board President Dr. Ref Rodriguez calls President Trump's approach to affirmative action It is "deeply troubling and disheartening."
• Minor Rent Hike Would Render Thousands Homeless In LA Thousands across LA County are barely getting by, and a 5 percent rent increase would push 2,000 onto the streets, according to a study.
• Should LA Ban Salary Histories? A Los Angeles councilwoman wants the city explore a ban on asking salary history from job seekers to help close the gender wage gap.
• Sex Offender Flasher Pleads Guilty In Secondary Offense Either naked or with only a towel wrapped around his waist, and repeatedly flashed hotel guests or apartment residents across Orange County.
• Smash And Grab At Mercantile West Stores In Ladera Ranch Two suspects were wanted in regards to a smash and grab burglary in Ladera Ranch's popular Mercantile West shopping center
• Fire Erupts Through Arcadia Apartments Fire rages in Arcadia apartments, displacing many residents on Thursday morning. How can you help? Find out here.
• Armed 'Fast-Food' Bandit Thwarted, Investigators Believe Multiple Orange County law enforcement agencies met to compare evidence in 26 robberies
• Gunman Injures Two At OC House Party, Suspects At Large Two suspects shot up an inland Orange County house party late Wednesday, injuring two.
• Loved Ones Mourn Biker Killed In Hit And Run On Sherman Way "You can't just leave someone like that ... left for dead, like he's nothing...he meant something to somebody."
• Venice Man Arrested In 'Sham Clinic' Drug Ring Federal agents allege a Venice man helped run a sham clinic used to funnel drugs like oxycodone onto the streets.
• Suge Knight Charged With Threatening 'Straight Outta Compton' Director Police say Marion "Suge" Knight threatened to kill 'Straight Outta Compton' Director Felix Gary Gray, prosecutors allege
• Trump's Senior Adviser Turns His Combative Style On Reporter: SEE Stephen Miller, Santa Monica native and White House adviser, got into an altercation with CNN's Jim Acosta over Trump's immigration policy
• .$50K Reward Offered For Information About Harbor City Murder The woman was gunned down while working at a barbecue stand on Pacific Coast Highway on Friday.
• LAPD Officer Rape Case: City To Pay $450K To Alleged Victim The LA City Council unanimously approved a $450,000 settlement to one of the women accusing an LAPD officer of rape: BREAKING.
• Marvel Comic Legend Hosts Extravaganza Honoring Career Tickets are now on sale for an event that honors Marvel Comic legend Stan Lee at the Saban Theatre.
• Aerospace Industry Now Supported By South Bay Alliance The South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce has made steps towards supporting the aerospace industry.
• Only Early Risers Can Capture This Photo Of The Week Patch loves photos! Share your photos with Pleasanton Patch and your work could be featured.
• Eric Clapton's Former Venice Pad Hits The Market WOW House: Designed by MOCA architect Arata Isozaki, this one-time home of Eric Clapton is all about inspiration.
• Huntington Library Launches 'Project Blue Boy' The Huntington Library will turn its efforts to conserve "The Blue Boy," one of the world's most famous paintings, into an exhibition.