Faculty group looks to bolster ties with Israel
Tomo Chien
September 29, 2025
Good morning. It’s Monday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
A new faculty group plans to strengthen ties with Israeli academia, primarily by offering fellowships for Israeli scholars to study in the U.S. Kalaniyot — founded after Oct. 7 with chapters at MIT and several Ivy League schools — says it hopes to help scholars navigate “increasingly challenging campus climates.”
2.
USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins will miss the entire upcoming season while she recovers from an ACL tear. It’s a major blow to a program that has recently drawn record crowds and regained national prominence, thanks in large part to the two-time All-American.
3.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that accused the College Board and 40 colleges, including USC, of unfairly inflating tuition costs for students with divorced parents. The judge said the plaintiffs failed to show the schools engaged in the alleged price-fixing scheme.
4.
The federal government is considering putting swaths of Camp Pendleton in San Diego County up for commercial lease, a move that would be unprecedented for the military installation. The 125,000-acre coastal stretch operated by the Marine Corps has previously won praise for its environmental stewardship.
5.
Remember last semester’s USC-UCLA sperm race? Investors just poured $10 million into the company that put on the event. Sperm Racing’s 18-year-old founder says he wants to bring events to colleges across the U.S. and start selling a gummy supplement that’ll “help you load up and lock in.”