Newsom warns universities against signing Trump's 'compact'

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and I’m reading about Disneyland’s newest planned ride, the first to come from a movie released in the 2010s. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to pull state funding for universities that sign President Donald Trump’s higher education agreement. Trump sent the “compact” to nine universities across the country, including USC. The agreement says schools who wish to receive federal benefits and money must comply with Trump’s educational goals: identity-blind hiring practices, same sex spaces on campus, biological gendering, no more than 15% international students, using the SAT and ACT in admissions, no single ideology can dominate, freezing tuition for five years and expanding veteran benefits. 

2.

When meal voucher applications opened the first Monday of classes, Cal Poly Basic Needs received so much interest they had to close the window by the end of the day. A spokesperson said Basic Needs received nearly 1,000 applications during that time for fall quarter’s program. Last year, they only gave 2,300 people vouchers in total. This could be from growing food insecurity on campus (studies showing 39% of students experience it) or the destigmatization of food assistance.

3.

In a wealthy Santa Barbara enclave, the public began visiting a popular hot springs trailhead. Often. The issue bubbled over, with residents putting out illegal boulders to block parking and the city rewriting parking restrictions in the area this summer. Now, if you’re hoping to visit the Montecito hot springs, check the signs closely, because city officials announced tow-away parking will go into effect.

4.

A powerful Democratic women’s group endorsed former Rep. Katie Porter in the race to replace Newsom in the 2026 gubernatorial race. The group, called EMILYs List, supports candidates who support abortion rights, and said its endorsement comes from Porter’s willingness to stand up against Trump and “deliver results.” While not yet clear, this endorsement could come with significant financial backing.

5.

A magician-turned-scientist who used to be at the helm of a biotech company that claimed to have cured HIV (they didn’t) was found guilty of orchestrating the murder of a former business partner who planned to sabotage the businessman’s merger in 2008. In his prime, he partied with Oscar winners and movie producers in his Hollywood mansion and a colleague said he is “one of those rare geniuses that is not bound by scientific discipline or dogma.” He later admitted to buying his medical degree from a Russian university.