Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and we’ve been hitting up NYT Cooking for easy weeknight recipes to make after class. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

USC fell four spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 rankings, from 24 to 28. The drop could likely be attributed to a significant change in the formula which excludes five factors including class size and high school class standing, and instead focuses on whether students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds succeed on campus and whether students graduate with “manageable debt.” USC is now tied with UC Davis, UC San Diego and the University of Florida.

2.

A California water district is considering building offshore desalination plants to harvest drinking water from the ocean. A third-party company partnering with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District claims that the underwater desalination pods would dramatically lower energy costs — because they can utilize the pressure at the bottom of the ocean floor — and reduce the output of harmful salty brine when compared to traditional land-based plants.

3.

The man arrested in the ambush killing of an LA County deputy over the weekend was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, his mother told authorities. Kevin Cataneo Salazar, 29, was detained after an hourslong confrontation with a SWAT team at his parents’ home just a few miles from where he shot Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. Sheriff Robert Luna said he was “extremely confident that we have the right person in custody.”

4.

A sexual harassment lawsuit against California Treasurer Fiona Ma by a former high-ranking employee will go to trial after a judge denied a motion to dismiss it. Judith Blackwell, former head of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, said Ma would often call her into hotel rooms and expose her nude backside and at least once climbed into Blackwell’s bed with her. Ma said the incidents were not sexual in nature.

5.

Climate change has spelled the beginning of the end for California’s $200 million commercial fishing industry. Years of drought have strained the salmon population, prompting authorities to close the salmon season for the first time since 2009. Warming oceans have for years pushed whales closer to shore, entangling them with fishing gear and delaying crab seasons. Fishermen say they’re left making payments on hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of boats, equipment and permits with no source of income.

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter

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