View this email in your browser

By Tomoki Chien
NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Good morning. Some good news: The San Francisco Bay Area is seeing a reemergence of beavers, which were once hunted to extinction in the region.

And now, here are the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

The LA County Department of Mental Health is looking to expand its student trainee program as it faces glaring staff shortages. Officials hope that the program — which currently works with 16 local universities to offer some 100 internships a year — can help establish a professional pipeline to remedy its recruitment and retention woes.

Robert Garrova / LAist

2.

California will become the first state to automatically seal criminal records for most people who complete their sentences. Activists have long contended that those records, when left unsealed, can prevent formerly incarcerated people for getting jobs, housing and schooling.

Soumya Karlamangla / The New York Times

3.

A staffing crisis in LA County’s juvenile halls has led to more fights, attacks on officers and the controversial use of chemical sprays on children to stop brawls. The halls, which house around 370 youths, saw a 50% increase in the number of times that officers used force in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year.

James Queally / Los Angeles Times

4.

Gov. Gavin Newsom told the White House that he won’t challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024. In fact, Newsom said he won’t run even if Biden doesn’t seek reelection — doubling down on a promise he made last month in the one and only gubernatorial debate.

Jonathan Martin / Politico

5.

The federal government will spend $250 million to lower the environmental impact of the Salton Sea’s drying lake bed. The Southern California lake is largely fed by runoff from Imperial Valley farms, which are being forced to cut down on water use by tightening restrictions.

Kathleen Ronayne / Associated Press

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.

Subscribe | Unsubscribe