Don Lemon arrested in LA
Tomo Chien
January 30, 2026
Good morning. It’s Friday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Federal agents arrested former CNN anchor Don Lemon in LA last night over his coverage of a controversial protest at a church in Minneapolis. The apparently stunning breach of the prominent journalist’s First Amendment rights is almost certain to become the latest flashpoint in the battle over the Trump administration’s authoritarian agenda.
2.
Some businesses across LA are expected to close today for a “National Shutdown” protesting federal immigration enforcement. A demonstration is slated for 1 p.m. outside LA City Hall, and earlier this week, hundreds walked out of class at UCLA. USC students, not known for activism, are yet to engage in such a walkout.
3.
If you’re looking for last-minute credits ahead of today’s add/drop deadline: The Daily Trojan polled students about the best electives at USC. Responses include Stage Combat (two units), Self Defense (one unit), and Beginner Guitar (two units).
4.
The LA Metro had to reroute buses plastered with ads for Amazon’s “Melania” after vandals defaced the posters at bus stops. (“My husband fucks kids”; “Melania is in the Epstein files”; “Eva Braun.”) It looks like today’s opening showing at The Grove will be empty.
5.
The Wall Street Journal named its annual “House of the Year,” and this time, it’s in California. The $4 million cottage in Carmel Highlands looks like something out of a fairy tale: sloped shingled roof, sprawling garden, and expansive view of the Pacific. To be certain, though, the other candidates were just as gorgeous.
