Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

A Westwood man has amassed a huge social media following by filming and taunting frat guys at schools like UCLA and USC. Joseph Freeman, a.k.a. @sigmachicritic is a microcelebrity among college students. But my investigation at L.A. Material found a hidden and disturbing pattern of intimidation in police records across the country.

2.

USC’s central communications department laid off six staffers yesterday, Morning, Trojan has learned. Megan Jordan, the school’s comms chief, said the move was part of a “deliberate effort to align” with USC’s “long-term strategic priorities,” and that the unit will hire for more than a dozen new positions. Translation: the layoffs aren’t because of the budget crisis.

3.

A small group of Marshall faculty penned an open letter opposing USC’s brewing union effort, saying the bargaining unit would be too big to properly represent their interests. Professors at Gould made a similar argument earlier this month, but union leaders say organizing is the only way to “secure the protections we deserve.”

4.

Huntington Park was roiled in political scandal last month when a USC graduate student alleged in court that Arturo Flores, a city councilmember, sexually assaulted her in the Village parking lot. Fátima Rodriguez-Ortiz spoke out for the first time to L.A. TACO, saying she refiled for a restraining order because Flores is “a danger to other students.”

5.

A palatial Bel-Air estate with sweeping downtown views just hit the market for $400 million. It’s the most expensive home listed in the U.S. right now and features a Turkish bath, pilates studio, and an X-ray machine — along with the standard-issue tennis court and three swimming pools. The Wall Street Journal published a photo-heavy story on the wild manse.