Newsletter: Today: UC Squabble. The Real Patty Duke.

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

California and the New Room for Millions

Are California students being hurt by the sharp increase of those from out of state attending UC schools? A new audit reports they are, and recommends making it tougher for nonresident students to get in. Not so, say university administrators, who add that the higher tuition paid by out-of-staters is necessary in the face of government budget cuts. Who’s right? Tell us on Facebook.

Supreme Court: It’s a Tie! (Again)

Public unions have scored a legal victory after the Supreme Court deadlocked over an Orange County teacher’s lawsuit challenging mandatory fees for the California Teachers Assn. As the fight over Justice Antonin Scalia’s successor continues at a glacial pace, expect to see more 4-4 splits ahead. Will Obama nominee Merrick Garland get his day in the Senate? The White House is trying to chip away at GOP resistance bit by bit.

For Him, It Was a Great Day at USC

The University of Second Choice? When Steven Sample became USC’s president in 1991, he set out to remove that stigma and hoped the school would be “known for being more than just a place that consistently fields a strong football team.” Over nearly two decades, he oversaw a dramatic rise in its academic and financial profile. Read on to see how he went from inventing touch pads for microwave ovens to a university builder who began many a speech with the line, “Isn’t it a great day to be a Trojan?” He died Tuesday at 75.

This Was the Real Patty Duke

Some knew her as the youngest Oscar winner in “The Miracle Worker” or as those identical cousins on “The Patty Duke Show.” Some knew her as the president of the Screen Actors Guild or as a powerful mental health advocate. Times film critic Kenneth Turan knew the late actress by her given name, Anna: “Perhaps what I remember most vividly about Anna was the way she managed to distill wisdom out of the worst things that had happened to her.”

South Africa’s Year of Living Dangerously

The numbers in South Africa are troubling: 35% of the population is actively looking for a job or has given up hope of finding one. Nearly 40% of the country’s budget goes to paying government workers. And there is the looming possibility its debt rating could drop to junk status. What happened? Less demand for its exports, drought — and, analysts say, President Jacob Zuma. Robyn Dixon takes a closer look at a country on the brink.

CALIFORNIA

-- Treading a fine line, the L.A. City Council is again looking at what to do about homeless people’s possessions.

-- The state snowpack has changed a lot in the last year, as have Californians’ attitudes toward water.

-- The Lunada Bay Boys surfers are being targeted by a class-action lawsuit.

-- California voters’ concerns about the future and the effect of international trade deals are helping Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, according to a new poll.

-- San Francisco State is investigating a confrontation over a man’s dreadlocks.

NATION-WORLD

-- Apple wants the FBI to reveal how it hacked the San Bernardino killer’s iPhone.

-- Oregon occupation supporters are being investigated over death threats.

-- Donald Trump stands by his aide charged with battery and accuses the reporter involved of changing her story.

-- Taiwan’s complex relationship with Japan affects its recognition of “comfort women.”

-- Scientists are sending fungi into space in the hope of developing new medicines.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Hulu’s provocative new series “The Path” focuses on a cult-like faith, but it’s not Scientology.

-- Movie review: Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some!!” is bigger than it looks and deeper than it seems.

-- Elton John is being sued for sexual battery and harassment by a former security guard.

-- SoundCloud’s new subscription streaming service joins a crowded field.

BUSINESS

-- The parent company of Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles has filed for bankruptcy protection.

-- Who wins with a $15 minimum wage?

SPORTS

-- New Dodgers boss Dave Roberts hammers home a new attitude in the clubhouse.

-- Time Warner Cable sweetens the deal again for Dodgers TV channel. Still no takers.

-- Three cyclists have died in three days.

-- North Carolina’s Roy Williams again will be the Final Four’s best-dressed coach.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The troubles of Kevin Johnson, the former NBA player-turned-mayor of Sacramento. (The Baffler)

-- What makes for a popular article on Medium? Take a look at the data. (Medium)

-- If you’re from Philadelphia, you know “jawn.” So what does the word mean and where did it come from? (Atlas Obscura)

ONLY IN L.A.

We’re not quite sure why it took so long, but nearly two years after a cat cafe popped up in Chinatown, a dog cafe is opening in Silver Lake next week. The concept: Spend an hour with coffee and cute canines. The cafe’s owner says all of the dogs in the lounge are from a local shelter and up for adoption. Read on to see where she got her inspiration.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.