Good morning. It’s Wednesday, and I’m reading about how In-N-Out is opening four new locations in Southern California. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

The CVS Pharmacy in the USC Village will close in February, part of the pharmacy giant’s national effort to reduce its retail footprint. The next-closest pharmacy to campus is the CVS on the first floor of the University Gateway apartments on the corner of Figueroa and 32nd streets. CVS said it’ll transfer prescriptions to nearby locations “to ensure patients have uninterrupted access to pharmacy care.”

Jennifer Nehrer and Jonathan Park / Daily Trojan

2.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to veto a measure that would’ve banned tackle football for kids under 12, putting an end to what was quickly becoming a parental rights-esque culture war issue. As of late, Newsom has sought to avoid headline-grabbing proposals that cast the state as out-of-touch on cultural issues in a pivotal election year. “I am deeply concerned about the health and safety of our young athletes, but an outright ban is not the answer,” Newsom said.

Staff / Politico

3.

A scathing report found that California’s proposed water restrictions would be too costly and unrealistic to implement. The analysis by the nonpartisan advisors to the state Legislature said that many of the “unnecessarily complex” reduction goals would be nearly impossible to meet, and that they would disproportionately affect lower-income residents. The report recommended extending reduction deadlines and loosening outdoor water use restrictions. 

Ian James / Los Angeles Times

4.

Violent crime dropped by 3.2% in LA last year, a decline in crimes like murder, robbery and rape in line with national trends. But theft is up, rising 16% in 2023 and no doubt aided by a string of high-profile smash-and-grab retail theft incidents over the summer. Another phenomenon: Traffic collision deaths are on the rise, and for only the second time in at least a decade, 2023 saw more than 300 murders and 300 automobile-related deaths.

Jon Regardie / Crosstown

5.

New insider accounts revealed that Kevin Merida, former executive editor of the LA Times, left his role last week after growing tired of newsroom interference by the paper’s billionaire owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong. In particular, the two men clashed over Merida’s decision to ban reporters who signed a letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza from covering the conflict for 90 days. Soon-Shiong suggested in an interview that he would’ve blocked the decision had he known about it beforehand, and his activist daughter Nika is vocally anti-Israel on social media — unusual behavior for a newspaper-owning family, which Merida bristled at.

Sharon Waxman and Alexei Barrionuevo / TheWrap

Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

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.