Guess tuition, win weed
Tomo Chien
February 24, 2026
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Every year, our subscribers compete to guess what next year’s tuition will be. Usually the prize is a laptop sticker. This time it’s $500 of product at Cannabis House. Correctly guess what next year’s tuition will be at morningtrojan.com/weed by Sunday for a shot to win a massive credit at my personal favorite local business.
2.
The LA Times mapped the city’s worst intersections based on traffic volume and collisions. Some — like Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset — are fairly obvious. But you might not guess several others, like Vermont and 28th near USC, which has the fifth-highest traffic volume of any intersection in the city.
3.
Huge paydays for college athletes under new NCAA rules have led to a surge in an age-old practice: Parents are holding back their kids in middle school to give them a competitive advantage. Many attend specialized “holdback academies,” including one founded by a USC alum that charges $10,000 annually.
4.
Fred Segal, the LA retailer that was once the proprietor of California cool, has a new owner that will seek to revive the once-hip 90s brand. Aritzia — a favorite among college-aged women and young professionals — bought the retailer and plans to reopen its flagship store at 8100 Melrose Avenue.
5.
Are you an Alysa Liu superfan? Consider making the pilgrimage to Lakewood ICE, which serves as the Olympic champion’s training ground while she studies at UCLA. The facility is one of the closest non-seasonal ice rinks to USC and offers public skate sessions in the afternoons and evenings for $18.
