Kids' COVID vaccine mandate quietly slips away

Good morning, and thank god it’s Friday. Here are the five USC, Los Angeles and California stories you need to know for today.

California lawmakers appear to have quietly given up the effort to impose a COVID vaccine mandate for schoolchildren. Sources within the state Department of Public Health said the end of the state’s COVID state of emergency on Feb. 28 essentially spells the end of the vaccination requirement that never was — at least at the state level.

Diana Lambert / EdSource

Pacific Gas & Electric will face a manslaughter trial for its role in the devastating 2020 Zogg Fire that killed four people and destroyed more than 200 homes. The utility company — which serves most of Northern California — is accused of failing to take down a pine tree that was previously marked for removal and ultimately ended up sparking the fire when it fell on a distribution line.

Staff / Associated Press

Hundreds of antisemitic flyers were distributed across the UC Santa Barbara campus and surrounding neighborhood earlier this week, sending shockwaves through the community. Authorities said they identified the extremist group responsible for the flyers, noting the group aimed to generate more revenue by directing people to its website.

Jacob Wheeler / Annenberg Media

Tom Girardi, a former high-profile lawyer, was indicted by federal grand juries in LA and Chicago on embezzlement charges. Girardi — famous for helping environmental activist Erin Brockovich go after PG&E — is accused of stealing some $18 million from his clients over nearly a decade.

Jenny Gross / The New York Times

State lawmakers are revisiting legislation that would put a cap on the price of insulin, limiting what diabetics pay out of pocket for the medication to $35 for a month-long supply. The current copay limit is $250 in a state home to an estimated 3.2 million people who are diabetic, many of whom rely on the drug.

Ana B. Ibarra / CalMatters

You’re all caught up. Thanks for reading Morning, Trojan, and have a good day. Anna Hsu copy edited this newsletter.

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