Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and FYI: You can get $1 tacos at Taco Bell. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.

The newsletter will be off tomorrow while I recover from a fever.

1.

Reported crimes around campus dropped by 6.8% last year, in part driven by decreases in stalking, fondling, and rape. More than half the crimes were “motor vehicle thefts” — which somewhat misleadingly include bikes and scooters.

Quinten Seghers / Daily Trojan

2.

California banned legacy and donor admissions at private universities, upending the status quo at some of the state’s most elite schools. The law does not specify a penalty for violating it. USC, which admitted an almost 15% legacy class last year, said it plans to comply with the legislation.

Jaweed Kaleem / Los Angeles Times

3.

Women’s volleyball teams are refusing to play San Jose State after a teammate-on-teammate lawsuit revealed that one of its players is transgender — and that at least one athlete is uncomfortable playing with her. The schools didn’t say why they forfeited the matches, but commentators hailed them for ensuring “safety for all of our female athletes.”

Erin Allday / San Francisco Chronicle

4.

Elsewhere in the culture wars, a conservative group says a ballot measure that would symbolically enshrine same-sex marriage in the California constitution is a “threat to religious freedom” because it’ll inevitably make them look “bigoted.” The group also claims the law would let people marry kids, animals, objects, and AI.

Bob Egelko / San Francisco Chronicle

5.

Young people are fueling a revival of LA’s indie theaters thanks to their niche programming and sense of community. “I always say it feels like church,” said one devout theatergoer. Popular spots include the New Beverly in Fairfax, the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, and Vidiots in Eagle Rock.

Krysta Fauria / Associated Press