Morning, Trojan.

Seven stories for today, Sept. 28

📰 Editor’s note

Before we get into today’s news, I’m thrilled to share that we’re now joined by Chris Bibona in a new daily segment called “The Sports Corner.” Chris is a colleague at Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan who I have a lot of respect for — a strong writer, and a good dude in general.

I’m sure we’ll be making tweaks to The Sports Corner’s format as time goes on, but know that we’re on the verge of some pretty cool changes to the newsletter. Welcome, Chris!

The Undergraduate Student Government is offering a free shuttle from USC to LAX over the fall recess. The estimated travel time is 30 minutes. (Undergraduate Student Government)

A petition circulated by USC students called for the university to expand its racial and ethnic categories to include Middle Eastern and North African students on its admission application. (Thomas Schmidt / Daily Trojan)

UCLA made its largest land acquisition in history, purchasing 35 acres from the now-defunct Marymount California University in an effort to ease its housing crisis and make room for future expansion. (Tyler Shaun Evains and Lisa Jacobs / Daily Breeze)

Authorities arrested a Lancaster man on suspicion of beating a veteran L.A. County deputy to death in her home. The motive was unclear as of Tuesday. (City News Service)

An athletic trainer who worked at two San Fernando Valley high schools was charged with sex-related counts against 10 teenage girls. Over the last five years, Richard Alexander Turner, 64, allegedly assaulted girls between the ages of 15 and 17 who sought recovery from sports injuries. (City News Service)

A federal appellate court ruled that a California law banning private prisons and detention facilities violates the U.S. Constitution when applied to facilities operated on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Kevin Rector / Los Angeles Times)

Gov. Gavin Newson signed a package of bills that establish some of the strongest abortion protections in the nation, further positioning California as a “safe haven” for reproductive health. California voters will decide in November whether to add an amendment codifying the right to obtain an abortion in the state constitution. (Kristen Hwang / CalMatters)

with Chris Bibona

Mens water polo (10-4) finished in fourth place at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Invitational at Stanford this weekend. The Trojans were on the verge of a rankings-shattering upset versus No. 1 UC Berkeley on Sunday, but ultimately fell to the Golden Bears 11-10 in regulation. USC still managed a 17-8 win against Fordham on Friday and a 11-9 victory against UC Davis on Saturday before falling to UCLA 13-12 later that night. No doubt a pair of one-point losses will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the Trojans, but an opportunity for revenge will come on Oct. 15 at Cal, and in the regular season finale at UCLA on Nov. 11.

Mens basketball gathered for its first official practice on Monday, just about six months after a first-round loss to the University of Miami in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Trojans are bent on avenging their premature March Madness exit, but an early season schedule consisting of playoff perennials like Kansas, Tennessee and Wisconsin — along with the usual Pac-12 adversaries — will force USC to put its money where its mouth is. The team this year is reinforced with a fresh batch of highly ranked recruits, but what I think makes this squad so dangerous is its veteran core, led by veteran backcourt tandem Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson.

Senior offensive lineman Brett Neilon quickly became a program icon with his heroic act dubbed the “Neilon Nudge” — reminiscent of the “Bush Push” — in USC’s 17-14 win over Oregon State on Saturday. Also in football, make sure to check out this profile piece on backup quarterback Jake Jensen which traverses his complicated journey to USC.

In the world of pro sports… The Dodgers clinched home field advantage in the National League playoff bracket, and are all but imminent to clinch home field in the World Series. The Boys In Blue (who lost last night 3-2 to the Padres in extra innings) are a win away from setting a new franchise record of 107 wins in the regular season — and just 10 shy of the all-time record of 116 held by both the 2001 Mariners and the 1906 Cubs. Other scores around the LA professional sports scene: The Rams defeated the Cardinals 20-12, and the Chargers suffered an embarrassing 38-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. I’m still really high on the Chargers, but maybe even higher on the new-look Jaguars. Was Urban Meyer really that bad, or is Doug Peterson just the answer to Duval County’s prayers?

Check out this quick midterm “survival guide” that lists some of the best campus study spots from Haylee Clophus and Christian Borden at Annenberg Media.

A UC system housing crisis has forced campuses to pack dorm halls and reject thousands of student housing applications, leading some to live in recreational vehicles or take on multiple jobs and loans to make rent. (Teresa Watanabe / Los Angeles Times)

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Morning, Trojan is curated and edited by Tomoki Chien. Chris Bibona writes The Sports Corner. Questions, concerns or feedback? Reach me at tomoki@gmail.com.

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