Feds Investigate Los Angeles Schools Over Gender Identity, Parents’ Rights
The investigation pertains to a policy enacted in 2019 by the Los Angeles Unified School District that protects transgender students who might not have support at home. Other states making news: Alaska, Texas, Delaware, and more.
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Investigating L.A. Schools’ Gender Disclosure Policies
The Trump administration has opened an investigation into the sex discrimination policies of the Los Angeles public school district, scrutinizing a measure that gives schools discretion in deciding whether to disclose students’ gender identities to their parents. The policy has been challenged by parents who sued the district, the second-largest in the country, saying the measure contributed to the isolation of their child, who later died by suicide. The Justice Department’s investigation was sparked by the lawsuit, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. (Bender, 4/8)
More updates from California —
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Officials Investigate Right-Wing Influencer's Fraud Claims
State officials conducted a sweep of a three-story Los Angeles office building Tuesday as part of its continued efforts to push back against claims by right-wing influencers and President Donald Trump’s administration that fraud is rampant in the state, particularly among hospice businesses. California agents said most of the businesses housed at the site can’t access state Medicaid funds, and argued that most potential fraud is happening at the federal level, which is under Trump’s purview. (DiNatale, 4/8)
FiercePharma:
Pfizer Closes Down 'Underutilized' Office Space In California
Pfizer is making more changes to its layout in California by stepping away from a South San Francisco office site that used to host the headquarters for its 2022-acquired Global Blood Therapeutics. The 164,150-square-foot office building on Oyster Point Blvd is closing its doors as the office space is “currently underutilized,” a Pfizer spokesperson told Fierce Pharma in an emailed statement. (Becker, 4/8)
Other health news from across the U.S. —
Alaska Public Media:
Anchorage Opens New Homeless Program That Pairs Tiny Homes With Addiction Treatment
Homeless numbers have remained roughly the same in Anchorage for the last few years and city officials say many people who have been homeless for a long time need addiction treatment or behavioral health care. Now a new muni-owned treatment center is getting some people that care, while housing them in their own individual microunits. The transitional living program is a new municipal approach to solving long-term homelessness in the city. (Flor, 4/8)
The Texas Tribune:
Texas Cannabis Businesses Sue State To Block Smokeable Hemp Ban
Texas hemp industry leaders and advocacy groups have sued the state to block new regulations that eliminate natural smokeable hemp products and increase licensing fees. The Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and several Texas-based dispensaries and manufacturers filed for a temporary restraining order in state district court in Travis County against the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Tuesday. They argue that the agencies have overstepped their constitutional authority by rewriting the statutory definitions of hemp established by lawmakers in 2019. (Simpson, 4/8)
KFF Health News:
States Face Another Challenge With Medicaid Work Rules: Staffing Shortages
Katie Crouch says calling her state’s Medicaid agency to get information about her benefits can feel like a series of dead ends. “The first time, it’ll ring interminably. Next time, it’ll go to a voice mail that just hangs up on you,” said the 48-year-old, who lives in Delaware. “Sometimes you’ll get a person who says they’re not the right one. They transfer you, and it hangs up. Sometimes, it picks up and there’s just nobody on the line.” (Whitehead, 4/9)
