Today’s News: Aids group offering meningitis vaccines; Honoring Jackie Robinson; Dems spar over education

Meningitis scare. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is offering free antibiotic vaccines today at its pharmacies and offices in West Hollywood and Hollywood. A 33-year-old West Hollywood man died after attending an annual Easter weekend gathering of gay men in Palm Springs known as the White Party. Brad Shaad is believed to have contracted meningities from other men attending the event from New York City. New York has been grappling with a particularly virulent form of meningitis and L.A. health officials are worried about a local outbreak. AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Jackie’s day. Major leaguers will all wear the number 42 today to mark the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier. At Dodger Stadium where the Dodgers play the San Diego Padres, Robinson’s widow, Rachel, and his children will take part in a pregame ceremony. The Dodgers will also honor two of Robinson’s Hall of Fame African-American teammates: Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella. Harrison Ford, who portrays Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey in “42,” the new Robinson biopic, is scheduled to throw out the first pitch. The Robinson film was the top grossing movie at the North American box office this weekend, earning more than $27 million. KCBS, Hollywood Reporter

Runaway porn. In a typical year, L.A. County gets about 500 permit applications for pornographic film productions. So far this year, it’s received just two. The reason, according to an adult film industry trade group, is Measure B, the county’s new condom law. Many companies say they’ve moved productions to other counties and states since the law took effect in March. The porn industry isn’t abandoning L.A. without a fight, however. Arguments are scheduled to begin next month in a federal lawsuit filed by porn producers challenging the condom law. L.A. Daily News

Party divide. The California Democratic Part is blasting efforts to overhaul the state’s education system – an effort that’s being led in part by fellow Democrats. During their statewide convention in Sacramento, delegates overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning two groups pushing reform bills. The proposed laws would give parents more choice about where to send their children to school and would tie student performance to teacher evaluations. One of the groups, StudentsFirst, was founded by Michelle Rhee, the controversial former head of the Washington, D.C. school district. The other, Democrats for Education Reform, is backed by State Sen. Gloria Romero and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Sacramento Bee

Prison pinch. Governor Jerry Brown is ratcheting down his rhetoric about federal oversight of the California prison system, but only a little. Brown reacted angrily when California’s bid to end oversight of prisons was rejected by a judge last week. He’s vowing to take the fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But speaking yesterday in China, where he’s on a trade mission, Brown said his administration will quickly put together a plan to release or transfer 10,000 more inmates. Brown has been taking heat from Republicans and victim’s advocates for his earlier inmate-reduction efforts. L.A. Times