USC film students can't sit through films
Tomo Chien
February 04, 2026
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
It’s no secret that college students are reading less and less. But the attention-span crisis has another victim: movies. USC cinema professor Mizuta Lippit likened his students to nicotine addicts who go through phone withdrawal during screenings — an observation shared by cinema professors across the country.
2.
LA County is considering plans to remove thousands of homeless people living near sports venues ahead of the 2028 Olympics. The Coliseum and USC’s campus, which will host sports and media events, would likely be involved in any removal plans, although it’s unclear where the county would house the people it moves.
3.
Attorneys for a man killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve called on the California Attorney General to investigate the shooting, saying the LAPD cannot be trusted to handle the investigation. Relatives of Keith Porter Jr., 43, said they believed he fired a gun in the air to celebrate the New Year before an ICE agent shot him.
4.
A team of USC scientists used state-of-the-art CT scanners to examine two ancient Egyptian mummies. The scans revealed what health conditions the men likely suffered and allowed the scientists to print 3D replicas of their bones. Those models, along with the mummies, will be on display at the California Science Center starting Saturday.
5.
Ditto, the AI dating app, is looking for USC students to go on dates on a yacht on Valentine’s Day. If you’re down for a nightmarish-sounding blind date, you can apply here. And if anybody from Ditto is reading this: I signed up for your app five months ago and it still hasn’t found me a date and I’m upset. Also, you should sponsor us.
