On this week’s IndieWire Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, Autumn Durald Arkapaw talks about what it would mean to be the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, and the career journey that led her to this point. Arkapaw, who is up for an Academy Award for her work on Ryan Coogler's “Sinners,” did not take a traditional path in film, but found her footing after an old advertising boss bought her a night course at UCLA Extension to get her started. Now, she could make Oscar history at the 98th Annual Academy Awards. Read more about UCLA in today’s Associated Press, Salon and other outlets.

More highlights from UCLA in the News: March 11, 2026

UCLA welcomes higher grade in ADL Antisemitism Report Card | City News Service

UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk on Tuesday welcomed an improved grade for the university in the Anti-Defamation League’s latest Campus Antisemitism Report Card, saying the change reflects steps the school has taken to combat antisemitism while acknowledging more work remains. The ADL released its third-annual report Tuesday, assigning UCLA a B grade, an improvement from a D in the organization’s previous assessment. “Our efforts and actions to fight antisemitism are being seen,” Frenk said in a statement. “We have strengthened our policies to protect both free expression and the safety of every member of our community and enhanced disciplinary processes for those who violate laws and policies,” he added.

How the DOJ is using civil rights law to attack school desegregation | Salon

A 2025 report from The Civil Rights Project [at UCLA] found that Black, Latino and American Indian students were concentrated in schools with high rates of poverty and that school segregation in the district has been driven in part by the growth of charter schools. … Tyrone Howard, a professor in the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, told Salon that, while there is potentially a larger discussion to be had on how effective the current program has been in terms of desegregating schools, the current suit is part of “a racist distraction.”

Ventura schools brace for layoffs amid state budget constraints | Spectrum News 1

“There’s just a lot of money in the budget for the state to do everything the federal government has to take some responsibility for this. Otherwise, really, all 50 states are going to continue to struggle,” said Joseph Bishop, executive director and co-founder at the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools.

U.S. Rep. Swalwell refutes residency accusation | Sacramento Bee

Richard Hasen, an elections law expert at the UCLA [School of Law], said Swalwell’s living arrangements were “not surprising.” “It’s quite difficult for members of Congress to maintain two homes, especially if they were not wealthy before joining Congress and have to rely on their congressional pay,” Hasen said in an email. “It’s even harder when they have kids in school or spouses with careers that require them to be regularly in their home state or in D.C.”

Do you really need a water filter? Here’s what experts say | Associated Press

“Unless you’re experiencing health impacts, you’ve got a notice from your water system, or there’s a credible media story saying your water is unsafe, you shouldn’t feel the need to get a filter,” said Gregory Pierce, director of the UCLA Human Right to Water Solutions Lab. “You’re still welcome to because it might make your water taste a little bit better, but it shouldn’t be considered necessary to have a water filter in 90-plus percent of the United States.”