Opinion: We need to hear from Annenberg’s dean
Tomo Chien
September 22, 2025
Good morning. It’s Monday, and I’m reading about how two Cornell students butchered a bear in a dorm kitchen. Here are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
The newsletter will be off tomorrow and Wednesday while I recover from a fever.
1.
Disney last week caved to an authoritarian White House when it suspended Jimmy Kimmel over his remarks about Charlie Kirk. CEO Bob Iger made the call. His wife, Willow Bay, is dean of USC’s journalism school. Here’s one way Bay can affirm her commitment to free speech, journalism professor Alan Mittelstaedt wrote in an op-ed: Invite Kimmel to speak at Annenberg’s commencement.
2.
A Congressional committee castigated USC and five other colleges for allegedly allowing foreign students “directly linked to Chinese military institutions” to conduct research funded by U.S. taxpayers. USC previously turned over data about its students as part of the probe.
3.
A Dutch Bros coffee chain will open a block south of campus later this year next to the Chipotle and Chick-fil-A on Figueroa Street. The company says it’ll serve customers via a walk-up window.
4.
A new study found that USC’s return on investment — the difference between cost of attendance and what students earn a decade after enrollment — has risen sharply since 2012. USC ranks 13th among colleges in California with a 10-year ROI of $272,000.
5.
It’s the first day of fall, and the show’s already on in California’s Eastern Sierra. For anybody hoping to catch a glimpse of autumnal foliage: Travel + Leisure magazine recommended the town of Bishop for its cozy restaurants and nearby hot springs. Bishop “has autumn views that rival leaf-peeping destinations the world over,” the magazine wrote.