Morning Brief: USC Goes Remote (Briefly), Rain This Week And New Year’s Good Luck

Good morning, L.A. It’s Dec. 27.

With COVID cases in L.A. County still high, some schools are briefly returning to remote learning — and USC is one of them.

On Friday, university officials announced that the first week of classes will be held online. Faculty, staff and students will be required to get booster shots as soon as they’re eligible, and students will need to provide proof of a negative COVID test in order to return to on-campus housing on Jan. 6.

“We continue to closely monitor the spread of cases in our community, as well as the situation at other institutions,” officials said in the announcement. “We remain committed to keeping our campuses safe and continuing in-person instruction this spring.”

USC isn’t the only local campus mandating boosters and going back online, if only briefly; the California State University system and the University of California system are also requiring the shots, and UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego will also hold classes remotely for at least the first two weeks of the upcoming semester.

L.A. County public health officials announced nearly 9,000 new cases of COVID yesterday, and nearly 12,000 new cases on Saturday.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Robert Calderon was shot and killed in Pasadena six years ago. His death remains one of the area’s recent unsolved homicides.
• LAFD is shortening its training from 22 weeks to 14 weeks, although a senior official says some elements will just be delayed until firefighters have started working.
• Rain is expected to come back to L.A. intermittently until Wednesday. 
• Grief is an opportunity for the brain to learn and change; here’s how it works. 
• This farm in Fillmore grows corn for Christmas tamales — and to fight the climate crisis.
• Afghan refugees are arriving in Southern California. Here’s how you can help.

Before You Go ... What To Eat For Good Luck On New Year's

Hoppin' John. (Photo by jeffreyw/Flickr Creative Commons)

It’s almost New Year’s, and I’m sure there’s no one amongst us who wouldn't like to see some changes in 2022. Fortunately, cultures around the world use this moment as a time to hope for good luck — or, eat their way to it.

From sticky rice cakes to pomegranates to buñuelos, we have you covered for an around-the-world good luck wish-fest. Check it out, and cheers to a better year.