Good morning, it’s Wednesday, and we’re reading about the best meals you can get in Los Angeles for under $15. Onto the five USC, LA and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

The LA City Council is looking to expand its ranks, potentially as much as doubling its 15-member body in a move that could in theory make council members more responsive to their constituents. But there’s a catch: The expansion might not happen until 2032, a delay that would allow the city to take advantage of 2031’s regularly scheduled redistricting process — rather than have to spend money on an additional one before then. The delay would also mean the expansion wouldn’t affect any current council members’ reelection bids.

2.

California lawmakers banned four carcinogenic chemicals found in popular processed foods and drinks, effective 2027. The bill — which bans red dye no. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propyl paraben — is the first of its kind in the nation and is expected to force the manufacturers of foods like Peeps to change their recipes.

3.

Former LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he’ll run for the county Board of Supervisors, a long-shot bid to return to the political limelight for the controversial figure. Villanueva, who was accused of a host of wrongdoing over his four-year tenure in the sheriff’s office, lost to Robert Luna in a landslide last fall.

4.

The LA County Board of Supervisors banned all departments from selling firearms to the public, a direct reaction to the controversy the Probation Department stirred in January when it listed more than 300 handguns on its site for sale just days after the Monterey Park mass shooting. It’s not uncommon for law enforcement agencies, including the sheriff’s department, to sell firearms they have a surplus of or obtain through court seizures.

5.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’ll meet with the planners of a futuristic city whose development is backed by Silicon Valley billionaires. In his first public comments on the project, Newsom criticized the investors for secretively buying the more than 50,000 acres of rural Northern California land where the planned site sits. Gubernatorial support could be key for the lofty project, which already faces an uphill battle with local land use laws.

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

3630 Watt Way, ANN 102, Los Angeles, CA 90089.