Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and I’m reading about San Francisco’s most hated landlord. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

A new USC program will provide digital textbooks and course materials for all your classes at a flat $292 fee. It should save the average student 60% on materials. Warning: USC will automatically enroll you in the program when you register for classes, so if you want to opt out, you’ll have to do so before the course’s add/drop deadline.

Sean Campbell / Daily Trojan

2.

USC shot down any hope that it’ll walk back a significant cut to scholarships for National Merit Finalists, rejecting a student government proposal to restore the perk that attracts some of the nation’s most elite college applicants. The 43% scholarship reduction — first reported by Morning, Trojan — will not affect current recipients.

Asiana Guang / Daily Trojan

3.

It’s no secret that USC has been ordering significant budget cuts. So, in the interest of transparency, we’re launching a live tracker that compiles all the known cost-cutting in one place. We need your help, though. This tracker is undoubtedly missing several major items. Know something? Contact us confidentially here.

Tomo Chien / Morning, Trojan

4.

Large swaths of Pacific Palisades are under evacuation warnings as heavy rain threatens to bring more mudslides to the fire-scarred region today through Thursday evening. In addition to the warnings, CalTrans said it plans to fully close the Pacific Coast Highway from Chautauqua Boulevard to Carbon Beach Terrace.

Tony Kurzweil / KTLA

5.

This year’s Festival of Books will feature “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu, poet Amanda Gorman, former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, among scores of other guests. The 30th anniversary of the literary festival will be held at USC, as per usual, on the weekend of April 26.

Cerys Davies / Los Angeles Times