A drought emergency for all of Southern California

Good morning. If you were curious, ChatGPT wrote #4 on yesterday’s newsletter — the program works freakishly well in the right use cases. I’ll be experimenting with ways to use the tool to keep improving this product.

And now, here are the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

Officials declared a drought emergency throughout all of Southern California, calling on local water agencies to immediately reduce their use of imported supplies. Those calls could become mandatory if this winter turns out to be a dry one that further parches the Colorado River.

Hayley Smith and Ian James / Los Angeles Times

The University of California Board of Regents OK’d UCLA’s defection to the Big Ten — provided that the school pay UC Berkeley a multimillion-dollar sum. The “Berkeley tax” is mean to partially make up for the less lucrative television contract the Pac-12 will deliver its member schools when it loses the entirety of the LA market as USC and UCLA run for the hills.

Liz Clarke / The Washington Post

The LA Police Department's civilian board of rights panels have consistently reinstated officers who took part in blatant misconduct that Chief Michel Moore recommended be fired. Under a City Council ordinance and voter-backed measure, all police officers have the right to bring appeals to the civilian panels, which have the ultimate say.

Josh Cain / Los Angeles Daily News

The two adults found dead Tuesday at UC Irvine were a mother and son. Police said that Andrew Nguyen Doan, 36, threw his 77-year-old mother, Thao Thai Nguyen, off a multi-story building then jumped himself. Authorities haven’t yet established a motive.

Vivian Chow / KTLA

Stephen Weeks, an operator at the recently shuttered Griffith Park Pony Rides, worried he wouldn’t be able to find a new home for the attraction’s 30 ponies. But he was proven wrong: He’s been inundated with calls and emails inquiring about the animals and has in fact found 25 of them new homes with experienced caretakers.

Christian Martinez / Los Angeles Times

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

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