House of Troy is a new podcast from LA Times Studios tracing the rise and fall of USC football, from coach Pete Carroll’s back-to-back national titles in the 2000s, to the Reggie Bush scandal, to the series of missteps that followed. It’ll feature exclusive interviews with coaches, players, and USC officials who saw it all up close — and shine new light on how a college football dynasty came undone.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing the Trump administration after their reporters were denied entry to the White House and stripped of their press credentials.

The news organizations say the credentials were pulled without “notice or process,” while President Trump says he's blocking them over reporting he calls "fake news." The case has been assigned to the same federal judge who sided with CNN in 2018 when one of its journalists was blocked from covering the White House, and a hearing is set for Wednesday. Meanwhile, the White House press pool, which includes CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, suspended its shared coverage of the president on Monday in solidarity.

And, California’s High-Speed Rail Authority approved more than half a million dollars in wasteful and unexplained travel spending that included first-class and premium flights, international travel and rideshare trips to an escape room, a night club and a cigar lounge in Washington, D.C., according to a new report.

The authority spent more than $2 million in travel costs for four consulting firms from June 2024 to April 2026, according to the report released this week by the agency’s inspector general. In addition, the authority failed to comply with state law requiring it to consider the business need for travel before approving it, the report said.

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The Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount’s request to allow foreign investors to take a substantial stake in the $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi plan to invest a combined $24 billion. Collectively, the funds would hold 38.5% of the combined company’s equity, while the Ellison family and RedBird Capital would retain 100% of the voting shares.

The FCC approval comes despite concerns raised by Democratic lawmakers and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez about potential foreign influence over major U.S. media properties including CBS and CNN. The deal still faces an antitrust lawsuit brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic attorneys general. A federal antitrust trial is currently scheduled for March 2, 2027, if the case is not resolved through settlement talks.

Meanwhile, a federal investigation into Gavin Newsom’s travel expenses is expanding, and the California governor is pushing back. Investigators have issued subpoenas for records from a nonprofit that has helped pay for Newsom’s official travel through private donations to places including China, Mexico, the Vatican, and the 2020 Super Bowl. Newsom says the investigation is politically motivated, calling it “Trump retribution,” and is accusing the administration of weaponizing the Justice Department.

And, both of LA’s football teams are hoping to bounce back after disappointing Week 1 losses. Two important matchups are ahead: The Chargers face the Raiders after a 26-14 loss to the Cardinals, while the Rams are back in the US for Monday Night Football against the Giants following their 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Australia.

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