The freshmen aren't OK
Tomo Chien
November 17, 2025
Good morning. It’s Monday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Last week, a UC San Diego report found that the school’s incoming freshmen have seen a stunning decline in academic preparedness. Now, professors at schools across the U.S. say they’ve anecdotally noticed the same trend. “For the most part I feel like I’m teaching high schoolers,” one commenter said on a hilarious (but disturbing) Reddit thread.
2.
New data shows that international student enrollment in the U.S. was already declining before President Trump took office this year. The findings add a twist on long-held fears that Trump’s policies will drive off foreign students — suggesting that the president is compounding rather than causing the decline.
3.
A second storm is expected to sweep through LA today after an atmospheric river set a new November record for downtown rainfall this weekend. The storm caused at least six deaths in California.
4.
The Dodgers have a problem. President Trump has invited the World Series-winning team to a customary celebration at the White House. Accepting the invite means shaking hands with a man whose federal police have terrorized LA. But, “if you decide no, the wrath of Trump and the right wing will come after you,” one analyst said.
5.
There’s been a lot of bad news lately. Take a break and scroll through The New York Times’ always-gorgeous California real estate roundup, which this week includes a picturesque, three-bedroom home in Beachwood Canyon with a sweeping view of LA.