Good morning. It’s Friday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Former residents accused NOVA, a popular student housing firm, of refusing to return security deposits and issuing bogus fees to renters. A Daily Trojan investigation found that NOVA’s leases include onerous clauses that leave renters with little legal recourse.

Jackson Mills / Daily Trojan

2.

USC’s Peace Garden will return next semester at a new location near Kerckhoff Hall along Adams Boulevard. The popular community garden, where students offered gardening workshops, closed earlier this year when USC sold its old location on Shrine Place.

Lauren Tonsich / Annenberg Media

3.

A budget windfall allowed the Undergraduate Student Government to dish out an additional $155,000 to student committees and assemblies. The big winners? The Concerts Committee ($30,000), Trojan Pride Committee ($16,000), and Performing Arts Committee ($15,000). See all the allocations here.

Beatrice Calalang / Daily Trojan

4.

The U.S. Justice Department joined a Republican lawsuit seeking to block new congressional maps approved by California voters under Proposition 50. The DOJ — which hasn’t challenged similar redistricting efforts by Republicans — called Prop. 50 an unconstitutional and “brazen power grab.”

Laurel Rosenhall / The New York Times

5.

Tinder is bleeding users and revenue, and it’s hoping college students will help turn its luck. The dating app is betting on in-person, Gen Z-focused events like a DJ set at UCLA to woo young users. Fun fact: Tinder first launched in 2012 at USC.

Queenie Wong / Los Angeles Times

Thanks to readers Lance I. and Karan L. for pointing out that yesterday’s newsletter incorrectly said the Big Ten is seeking a private equity deal. The proposed investor is the University of California’s pension fund.