The Brief

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What campus leadership says: In a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, USC interim president Beong-Soo Kim said he “respectfully declines” the offer, adding that “even though the compact would be voluntary, tying research benefits to it would, over time, undermine the same values of free inquiry and academic excellence that the Compact seeks to promote.” In doing so, USC has aligned itself with at least three other schools that have rejected the same offer, including the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University.

Department of Education response: The federal Department of Education said it couldn't comment while employees were furloughed during the government shutdown.

Why it matters: The move likely won’t help USC’s finances. The school is facing a $200 million budget gap. The university says federal funding threats, higher costs and other issues have led to recent cost cutting, including hundreds of layoffs. Fundraising also has dropped in recent years, and a major sexual assault scandal cost the university more than $1 billion in payouts.

Faculty reaction: Kate Levin, associate professor of writing at USC, said the decision “was absolutely the right move.” The rejection, she added, is “the result of sustained pressure” from campus groups, including the school’s American Association of University Professors chapter and campus labor groups. “Everybody came together with a unified voice to say that this compact with the Trump administration would be a disaster on a number of levels. It would have been a disaster for academic freedom, for civil rights, for workplace rights, for the safety of our students. This is a major organizing victory for those of us who teach and study and work at USC,” she said.

Go deeper: USC orders cuts and hiring freezes in face of federal scrutiny, budget problems

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What we know: The crash happened around 12:11 p.m., according to LAFD, which says four people were transported to local hospitals. Two of those people were in critical condition and two were in fair condition. The L.A. Fire Department said the woman driver hit a bicyclist about a block earlier before crashing into the store.

Both the driver and bicyclist declined medical treatment and hospital transport. LAPD says it's not treating the crash as intentional. The LAFD says it removed the silver sedan from the store when it arrived at the scene to rescue people who were trapped. All three people who died were inside the bakery at the time of the crash.

The victims: Names of the victims have not been released, but LAFD has identified them as a 42-year-old woman and two men, ages 55 and 30.

This is a developing story.

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What do we know right now? Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden. Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

Read on ... for more on what witnesses to the incident saw.

Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has been disbarred, stemming from his conviction last year on a federal bribery charge. The disbarment was expected. It stems from a state Supreme Court order that came down Dec. 1 and is now recorded as such on the state bar's website.

What's the backstory?

Do is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Arizona after admitting to directing money to several nonprofit groups and businesses that then funneled some of that money back to himself and family members for personal gain. LAist has been investigating the alleged corruption since 2023. Do was also ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution for his role in the bribery scheme that saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors, leading authorities to label him a “Robin Hood in reverse.”

What does the bar action mean?

The official disbarment means Do is prohibited from practicing law in California. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 to the State Bar.

Go deeper ...

Here's a look at some of LAist's coverage of one of the biggest corruption scandals in Orange County history:

LAist investigates: Andrew Do corruption scandal
Ex-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution
'Robin Hood in reverse.' O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do resigns and will plead guilty to bribery conspiracy charge
Former OC Supervisor Andrew Do turns himself in, begins 5-year federal prison term
6 questions we still have after disgraced former OC Supervisor Andrew Do’s sentencing
A quiet retreat for the judge married to disgraced OC politician Andrew Do

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California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert recently received an eight-year accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

Why it matters: The accreditation grants the college access to state and federal funding for higher education. Assemblymember James C. Ramos of San Bernardino calls the milestone historic, saying California has the highest number of Native Americans in the U.S.

How we got here: There aren't any fully accredited tribal colleges in California. But a Palm Desert school might change that.