Jeffrey Epstein funded USC study
Tomo Chien
February 06, 2026
Good morning. It’s Friday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Berislav Zlokovic, a top USC neuroscientist, offered to “scout” research projects for Jeffrey Epstein’s foundation in 2015, three years after the disgraced financier bankrolled one of his studies. Zlokovic was placed on indefinite leave in 2024 after being accused of manipulating research papers.
2.
LA police fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed with a rifle near the California Science Center yesterday morning. Expect the LAPD to release a detailed video breakdown of the shooting within 45 days, as department policy mandates.
3.
A Viterbi researcher created a free AI tool that can turn research notes into polished papers. GRAIL, made by Mayank Kejriwal, says it can do the tedious work of writing papers with a “zero-percent hallucination” rate. “We need to grapple with the reality of technological change,” Kejriwal said, speaking to AI critics.
4.
No former USC quarterback has ever started a Super Bowl. But that’ll change Sunday, when Sam Darnold, the beloved ex-USC star, takes the field for the Seattle Seahawks. One of Darnold’s former professors had rave reviews of the 3.14 GPA student. “He stayed around and he got the most out of every class,” Jeff Fellenzer said.
5.
UCLA’s satire newspaper published an exclusive “interview” with Mark Tramo, a professor who has come under fire for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. “I was duped into thinking that Ol’ Jeff committed ‘minor’ offenses. How was I supposed to know that the news report actually said ‘offenses with minors?’”
