Good morning. It’s Thursday, and I’m reading about the one spot in California that USA Today recommended in its summer travel guide. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

Vote for the inaugural “USC Moron of the Year.”

1.

Legions of police officers moved to dismantle UCLA’s pro-Palestinian encampment early this morning in a violent confrontation with protesters. Police threw flash-bangs as they tore down tents, and demonstrators responded in kind by spraying fire extinguishers at them. The heavy-handed police presence was in contrast to yesterday, when police took hours to intervene when a mob of counterprotesters threw bricks and fireworks into the encampment — then targeted and beat four student journalists.

Staff / Los Angeles Times

2.

USC President Carol Folt said in an Academic Senate Meeting yesterday that she regrets not being more present when unrest first broke out on campus — and also not talking directly to protesters sooner. “I don’t know why I didn’t,” she said. That makes two of us. Separately: Chaos reigned yesterday when USC locked down campus in an attempt to block outside protesters from entering — but barred even students from walking in. That lockdown was separate from the new, TSA-esque entry procedures the university enacted.

Staff / Annenberg Media

3.

A controversial plan to build a city from scratch in a rural swath of the Bay Area got one step closer to reality: Developers gathered enough signatures to field a ballot measure that could overturn restrictive zoning laws preventing the city’s construction. The billionaire-backed project, dubbed “California Forever,” promises to build an affordable, walkable city that could help solve the state’s housing crisis. But residents have questioned whether it’ll force them out of their communities — and some say they were tricked into signing the petition.

Nadia Lopez / Bloomberg

4.

If you were hoping to squeeze in a beach trip before school ends — sorry. LA County officials warned people to stay out of the water at a handful of popular beaches because of high levels of bacteria. The no-go spots include the Santa Monica Pier and parts of Will Rogers and Leo Carillo state beaches. The advisory will remain in place until further notice. 

Vivian Chow / KTLA

5.

A state assemblymember managed to break an unprecedented tie for second place in a Silicon Valley congressional primary when a recount nudged him ahead by just five votes. Assemblymember Evan Low will now face the former mayor of San Jose, the race’s frontrunner, in November. Pundits say the race ought to spur changes in state law. “I think it’s a pretty clear sign that there needs to be an automatic recount triggered when results are quite this close,” one consultant said. 

Sarah Grace Taylor / Politico