The Kirk purge reaches UCLA
Tomo Chien
September 16, 2025
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m day dreaming about this storybook Carmel home. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
A UCLA DEI director was placed on leave after writing “I’m always glad when bigots die” after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. It was the latest firing in a nationwide purge over Kirk-bashing comments that have outraged the MAGA base. USC professors — including the five on Kirk’s “radical professors” watchlist — haven’t made much noise.
2.
USC nabbed former U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown to lead its new Center for Civic Society. Brown will teach classes at Dornsife and says he won’t take a paycheck. The New York Times once described Brown as a “feisty, impatient man,” though he’s generally regarded as a successful PM who steered Britain through the 2008 financial crisis.
3.
USC defended its decision to discontinue two programs that let motivated undergraduates take extra classes for free. Vice Provost Andrew McConnell Stott said USC’s budget crisis has forced it to “think more strategically about how we’re using our staffing resources” and “focus on programs that have a broader impact.”
4.
The 2028 Olympics will bring a massive police presence to LA, and at its helm will be the federal government. That has raised fresh concerns among advocates who worry the games will leave behind a lasting police state. Consider: When LA hosted the 1984 Olympics, a Japanese reporter remarked that the city felt “almost like a military base.”
5.
Attendance at USC football games is down nearly 10% from last year despite the team’s 3-0 start. Some students blamed the heat; others apparently have alternative priorities. “When I’m tailgating all day, the last thing I want is to sit there baking in the sun for four more hours,” said junior Gigi Van den Bosch.