A dangerous new era for campus speakers
Tomo Chien
September 12, 2025
Good morning. It’s Friday, and I lost my Daily Mail virginity. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
University security teams now face a dilemma. The assassination of Charlie Kirk — by a gunman on a distant rooftop — has raised new concerns for high-profile speakers. But experts say colleges can’t realistically guard against such serious threats. “Unless you’re president of the United States, you just don’t get that kind of protection,” one expert said.
2.
In case you missed it: A USC faculty member received a racist message that threatened to gun down Black students on campus in response the murder of a Ukrainian woman by a Black man in North Carolina. At least one student also received a threat by text, though police later deemed both hoaxes.
3.
The postdocs union is making noise about stalled negotiations at USC, lambasting the school’s apparently final offer that doesn’t include salary increases or additional healthcare benefits. “USC claims to respect its workers, but their actions tell a different story,” the group wrote.
4.
California lawmakers passed a bill that would ban local and federal police from wearing face masks when interacting with the public. Critics say the bill carves out an exemption for state cops like the California Highway Patrol for “no articulable reason,” and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who still hasn’t signed it, is “looking at the constitutionality of it.”
5.
Last December, Santa Cruz surfer Alo Slebir broke an unofficial world record when he rode a massive 108-foot wave, establishing himself as a surf legend in the making. In real life, though, Slebir is a 24-year-old construction worker who’s “just barely scraping by.” SFGATE profiled Slebir at the link below. He was also featured in an ESPN short.