USC Media and Public Relations

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The New York Times, in an Associated Press story, reported on the arrests of two suspects in the deaths of two USC students. CBS News Los Angeles affiliate KCBS-TV quoted USC President C. L. Max Nikias on the arrests. "The arrest of the suspects in the tragic deaths of our graduate students, Ying Wu and Ming Qu, begins the process of healing and of closing a painful chapter in the life of our community," he said. "We will always mourn the loss of Ying and Ming, but find comfort in the hope of achieving justice." The news was also covered by The Washington Post in an Associated Press story, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Los Angeles Times, KPCC-FM and a second KCBS story.

The Wall Street Journal featured a study by Anthony Dukes of the USC Marshall School and colleagues, finding that it is tougher to win lawsuits these days based on the Robinson-Patman Act, a law meant to level the playing field between big companies and small ones. Dukes said that several landmark cases raised the burden of proof for small companies. Dukes said that large companies still act as if the law has more power than it does. "Our sense is that many people in the industry still believe [the act] is enforced and perceive the threat as more potent than the data indicate," he said.

The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, reported on a lawsuit filed against USC by the families of two students. The news was also reported by Los Angeles Times, a Los Angeles Times blog post, Inside Higher Ed, Xinhua News Agency (China), Sing Tao (China), Radio Television Hong Kong (China), another Associated Press story, Reuters, United Press International, The Huffington Post, KPCC-FM, KPCC's "OnCentral," ABC News Los Angeles affiliate KABC-TV, NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV, City News Service, Business Insider, L.A. Weekly, L.A. Observed and LAist.

Los Angeles Times ran an op-ed by David Treuer of the USC Dornsife College about the portrayal of Native Americans in the media. Treuer wrote that the media tends to focus on crime and poverty within the community, but often misses the nuances of life on a reservation. "Tragedy, and the meme that Indian lives are necessarily tragic lives, becomes a kind of comforting, expected story to those who consume it," he wrote.

ESPN featured a humanitarian aid trip to Haiti that included USC students Matt Barkley, Kyle Negrete, Robert Woods, T.J. McDonald and Devon Kennard, members of the USC football team. The trip was organized by Barkley's father, Les, and included nearly two dozen people. The group built four houses in four days, surveying damage from the devastating 2010 earthquake. They also brought 2,600 pounds of food and supplies with them for local orphanages and schools. "I heard them talk a lot about representing the whole football program and the University of Southern California," Les Barkley said.

KPCC-FM's "OnCentral" reported on possible future events at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum now that the venue's commission approved a lease with USC. The lease still needs final approval by the state. USC Associate Senior Vice President for Real Estate and Asset Management Kristina Raspe stated that USC is looking to bring a wide variety of future events to the site by building relationships with promoters in the area. Maintaining safety will be a big factor: "We certainly don't want to bring events to the community that are disruptive," she said.

KPCC-FM's "OnCentral" reported on how USC students get to school and how the Expo Line has made an impact. The story noted that USC operates its own bus system that brings 1,700 passengers a day from Union Station to the campus. The story noted that the Expo Line connects the campus to riders as far away as Pasadena and Long Beach. "It's a plus for the university," said Michelle Garcia, USC associate director of transit. "We're excited to have it in our backyard. It's nice to have a service that comes right up to the university and allows people to connect to places they couldn't get to before." Roman Melnick of the USC Gould School said he has started taking the Expo Line to work. "It's convenient, it's cheaper than the cost of gas, and I save the university money because my department doesn't have to pay for parking," he added.

KPCC-FM's "OnCentral" reported on USC students living off-campus, including in the neighborhood where two students were shot in April. USC students and alumni who had lived in the area said that while there is concern about crime in the area, they don't feel physically unsafe. "I feel like anywhere around USC, safety is a concern," said USC student Allison Guilford. "But, I think being aware and careful is the best you can do." Leslie Evans, a landlord who rents out a Craftsman home near where the shooting took place, said the neighborhood is much safer than it was in the '80s. "USC students slowly, over the years, moved out further from campus, as it became safer," he said. "And it is safer, despite this one terrible crime."