Board finds PG&E at fault for San Bruno explosion


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Decades of mismanagement by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company led to the San Bruno pipeline explosion  — which killed eight people last September — the federal government said Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board reported PG&E failed to properly assess the risk and had installed a bad pipe in the Northern California city. The […]

Labor Day weekend event guide


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For USC students, Labor Day weekend offers a welcome break to the busyness and early chaos that starts off each academic year. While attending or watching this Saturday’s opening USC football game against Minnesota is a no-brainer, there’s still ample time for other activities. In particular, the three-day weekend is a great opportunity to explore […]

Celebrating Eid ul-Fitr


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Celebrating the end of a month of fasting, Muslims around the world are recognizing the religious holiday Eid ul-Fitr on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal. After abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset for 30 days in the preceding month of Ramadan, today more than 1.4 billion Muslims are […]

African Fashion Week events declare new kind of style


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This September, Arise Magazine — an arts-and-culture publication specializing in the African fashion scene — will hold its third annual “Made in Africa” show, a collective showcase of high-end clothing by some of Africa’s most popular designers. During its showcase at the exclusive Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York, the show promises cultural extravaganzas and a […]

Practice Notes: Aug. 30


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No. 25 USC has begun preperations for its season opener Saturday against Minnesota. Redshirt junior guard Abe Markowitz and redshirt sophomore wide receiver De’Von Flournoy missed practice, while freshman runningback Amir Carlisle had to leave early. Coach Lane Kiffin said he is expected to be back tomorrow. Kiffin said on injuries, “We’re relatively healthy for […]

Qaddafi’s family eludes NTC custody


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While the search for the missing Muammar Qaddafi continues in vain, 32 members of his family were able to escape National Transitionary Council capture and cross into neighboring Algeria. Among the party was Qaddafi’s second wife Safia, his daughter Aisha and two of his sons, Hannibal and Mohammed. Aisha gave birth to a daughter shortly after arriving. They made their […]

New album releases are a mixed bag


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What do the Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Guetta, and Lil Wayne all have in common? They all dropped brand new albums this week. On sale now are I’m With You by the Chili Peppers, Nothing But the Beat by Guetta, and Tha Carter IV from Lil Wayne. The Chili Peppers are back with their […]

Taylor Swift ‘speaks now’ at Staples Center


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Taylor Swift. Whether you hate her or love her, there is no denying the girl knows how to perform. The 20-year-old country-pop superstar kicked off the California portion of her “Speak Now” tour this past week with four consecutive sold-out shows at the Staples Center in LA Live. The show, more of a performance than […]

It takes two (festivals) to kick off Oscar season


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As the summer of sequels, blockbusters and billion-dollar franchises comes to a close, studios now look ahead to the fall festival circuit, a leading indicator of their films’ awards and commercial potential. Two of these festivals — Venice and Toronto — take place within the next few weeks and feature everything from period films to […]

Free-to-play games are a win-win for all


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Instead of selling games as a pay once, play forever-type model, many online games are being offered as free-to-play, with additional charges for extra features. One such highly successful models is League of Legends. Just last year, Brandon Beck, co-founder of the company that makes League of Legends, visited USC to speak at the 2011 […]