$499 to skip the line at Rock's??
Tomo Chien
March 30, 2026
Good morning. It’s Monday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Rock & Reilly’s, apparently seeking to capitalize on its newfound Wednesday night popularity, launched several “membership” packages that cost as much as $499 annually. For roughly the price of a semesterly parking permit, you can get some combination of line-skipping privileges and a weekly burger ration.
2.
Two years after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied university quads, students at America’s left-leaning colleges have been strangely silent. That’s arguably because university leaders have executed a total crackdown on protests using Donald Trump’s threats as cover. All along, though, they “were quietly on board,” The Atlantic wrote.
3.
In case you missed it: The Los Angeles City Attorney declined to charge Sa Lang Enoch Chang, a 19-year-old USC student arrested on suspicion of domestic violence at Nemirovsky Residential College in February. It wasn’t immediately clear why prosecutors declined to file charges.
4.
Days after uncovering allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and girls, The New York Times again surfaced shocking claims against the late labor leader. In a remote union compound in the mountains, Chavez allegedly turned controlling and cultish, believing he could heal people by touching them and that he had a visible “aura.”
5.
As you may have seen in our email blast Friday, we’re shutting down this newsletter in May. If Morning, Trojan has made you laugh, or broke news that you thought was essential, it would mean a lot to me if you submitted a reader testimonial for our archive website. Many thanks to all of you who’ve sent hilarious, thoughtful notes.
