Good morning. It’s Monday, and I’m reading about how Bigfoot sightings directly correlate to the size of a given area’s black bear population. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Four leading candidates for California’s U.S. Senate seat will debate tonight at USC. The biggest question of the night might be how Republican Steve Garvey, a former LA Dodgers star and political novice, will fare among veteran Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee. Several polls have put Garvey in second place behind Schiff. In-person seating isn’t open to the public, but you can watch the event on KTTV or livestream on Politico’s website at 6 p.m. 

John Woolfolk / The Mercury News

2.

California State University faculty began a five-day strike today, causing widespread disruption in the nation’s largest public university system. Some 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and counselors are walking off the job, protesting bitter contract negotiations that center around compensation. The faculty union has asked for a 12% pay increase this year to match inflation, but CSU contends that only 5% would be financially feasible.

Carly Heltzel / College Brief

3.

Fentanyl is so cheap in San Francisco that dealers from as far as Humboldt County travel to the city to purchase product. A Drug Enforcement Administration official blamed what he called San Francisco’s soft drug policies for the low prices, arguing that fentanyl moves too freely in the city. Another expert said the sheer volume of product could be oversaturating the market and driving prices down. Other experts said lower purity levels are likely to blame; San Francisco dealers tend to cut product with other substances more so than in other cities.

David Sjostedt / The San Francisco Standard

4.

Voters won’t decide California’s next governor for another two years, but the field is already crowded. Outgoing state Senate leader Toni Atkins jumped into the fray on Friday, joining three other prominent Democrats who are serving, or have served, in statewide offices. Why so early? Fundraising is key in California, where candidates must burn millions of dollars to advertise in expensive media markets. “You need to consolidate, you need to get in the game, you need to go talk to donors,” one political consultant said.

Alexei Koseff / CalMatters

5.

Thieves stole more than 300 bronze plaques from two Carson cemeteries earlier this month, causing upwards of $2 million in damage. At Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, thieves absconded with more than 100 plaques mostly from the cemetery’s mausoleum. At Woodlawn Memorial Park, the thieves stole more than 200 plaques, vandalized at least 300 graves and knocked over or smashed dozens. “I think the most devastating part is when I have to tell someone that their family headstone was vandalized,” said Woodlawn’s owner.

Angie Orellana Hernandez and Christian Martinez / Los Angeles Times

Earn gift cards when your friends subscribe to Morning, Trojan using your custom URL.

• 5 referrals = $5 at Starbucks

• 10 referrals = $10 at Insomnia Cookies

• 25 referrals = $50 at USC Bookstore

You have {{rp_num_referrals}} referrals, {{rp_num_referrals_until_next_milestone}} to go until earning a {{rp_next_milestone_name}}. View terms and check your detailed progress here.