Good morning. I’m pleased to introduce Sammy Bovitz, who we’re adding to our rotation of daily writers. Also: We’re looking at this map that shows the registered property owner of any address in the state. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

A fast-moving fire erupted in Riverside County early Monday afternoon, burning more than 1,200 acres as of Tuesday morning. Officials ordered over 1,100 homes to evacuate, and said strong winds and low humidity brought by Santa Ana winds are to blame for the fire’s quick spread. The blaze was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning, and officials said that it could spread even further once the wind picks up in the midmorning.

2.

A viral video posted Thursday night showed two individuals at USC taking down posters of Israeli hostages that’ve been kidnapped by Hamas. When confronted in the video, one of the individuals said that “it’s causing the conflict to be worse.” A Department of Public Safety officer was also filmed taking down posters, though school officials said that removal was in line with general university policy, regardless of the content of the flyers. A USC Jewish leader denounced the removals as “an attempt to erase the value of human beings.”

3.

Happy Halloween! You’ve probably moved onto things… more adult than candy on the holiday, but know this: California’s children have some of the worst dental health in the United States, ranking 47th out of 51 in a national survey that included D.C. The study found that 14.8% of the state’s children have decayed teeth or cavities, and experts blamed a lack of access to dental care, fluoridated water and fresh fruits and vegetables — particularly in low-income communities — for the poor numbers.

4.

California State University faculty nearly unanimously authorized a strike Monday, giving their union the power to picket should contract negotiations fall through. The union is calling for better pay amidst growing faculty workloads and what the union president called “systematic inequalities.” The university system’s interim chancellor called the salary demands “unreasonable.” If the work stoppage actually occurs, it would be the first system-wide faculty strike in CSU history.

5.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to China last week to discuss climate policy with America’s greatest foreign adversary, he played hardball — but maybe with the wrong guy. He steamrolled a 10-year-old while playing a game of basketball with a group of schoolchildren. The video, predictably, got a snarky online reception. “Flagrant foul,” Fox News tweeted. Neither Newsom nor the child were hurt, and both got up smiling in the video.

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

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