California Weekly Roundup: Jan. 28, 2026
KQED:
Thousands Walk Out In Open-Ended Kaiser Strike
The open-ended strike impacts 31,000 employees. The nursing union says Kaiser has squeezed patient care and staffing, a claim the hospital system denies. (Romero, 1/26)
Victorville Daily Press:
Newsom Appoints New Barstow Veterans Home Nursing Administrator
The veterans home reported Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Anthony Pham as nursing facilitator at the home located at 100 Veterans Parkway near Barstow Community College. (De La Cruz, 1/26)
The Desert Sun:
Riverside County Board Of Supervisors Greenlights Blythe Hospital Plan
The management plan comes at a time when Palo Verde Hospital faces few options to remain open. (Sasic, 1/27)
Paradise Post:
Glenn Medical Center Crosses Milestone, Senator Says
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) met with administration on Thursday at the now-closed Glenn Medical Center emergency department to discuss routes to re-opening it. (Weber, 1/23)
The Santa Barbara Independent:
Los Angeles Man Arrested For Alleged Sexual Abuse Of Vulnerable Adults At Goleta Care Home
A Los Angeles man has been arrested on multiple felony charges after investigators say he sexually abused vulnerable adult patients while working as a certified nursing assistant at a Goleta care home — and authorities now believe there may be additional victims across multiple states. (Heydenfeldt, 1/26)
VC Star:
Once A Ventura County Biotech Heavyweight, Atara Fights For Its Life
Four years ago, Atara Biotherapeutics was the second biggest biotechnology company in the Conejo Valley, with 578 employees working in three locations in Thousand Oaks. These days, the company is down to 13 people in one small office on Rancho Conejo Boulevard. (Biasotti, 1/27)
Politico:
California To Join WHO Health Network In Rebuke Of Trump
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that California is joining the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, marking the state’s first formal partnership with the WHO’s international public health arm. (Hrehor, 1/23)
Los Angeles Times:
Pediatricians Urge Americans To Stick With Vaccine Schedule
America’s pediatricians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were once in lockstep on how vaccines impact child health. Not anymore. (Purtill, 1/26)
VC Star:
Flu Spreads In Ventura County But With Less Wallop So Far
Flu activity is elevated in Ventura County but hasn't come near last year's lethal peaks. (Kisken, 1/26)
The Stockton Record:
Free Flu Vaccines Available At Safeway Pharmacies. How To Get One
Free flu vaccines are now available at local Safeway Pharmacies in San Joaquin County. According to a Safeway spokesperson, free flu shots are excluded for members of Kaiser Permanente, who are required to pay a co-pay for the flu vaccine. (Rocha, 1/27)
Berkeleyside:
Leptospirosis Outbreak In Berkeley: What’s The Risk To People And Pets?
Here’s what to know about symptoms, transmission and treatment for humans and pets who may be exposed to leptospirosis. (Gecan, 1/23)
CalMatters:
Feds Drop Effort To Get Trans Patients’ Records From LA Children’s Hospital
The Justice Department pulled its subpoena for medical records of patients seeking gender affirming care at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. (Ibarra, 1/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Rady Children’s Health To Stop Transgender Care Amid Trump Administration Threats
Rady Children’s Health, the largest pediatric healthcare system in California, will stop providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth amid pressure from the federal government. (Fry, 1/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Super Bowl Festivities Are Taking Over Downtown. What Does That Mean For S.F.’s Homeless Residents?
Over the next two weeks, San Francisco will welcome tens of thousands of football fans into neighborhoods that have been strained by homelessness and open air drug use in recent years. (Hodgman, 1/26)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Officials Believe San Diego Is Well Positioned As Cities Compete For Dwindling State Homeless Dollars
Gov. Newsom says cities and counties must adopt strong encampment policies and show they are ‘pro-housing’ to qualify for a shrinking pool of state money. Officials here say San Diego checks the boxes. (Davis, 1/25)
CalMatters:
Can AI Help Make Homeless Californians Healthier?
As AI expands into every facet of society, a California company is testing whether the technology can help improve the health of people living on the streets. (Kendall, 1/27)
Los Angeles Times:
VA Promises Hundreds Of Tiny Homes On Its West L.A. Campus; Veterans Want Something Nicer
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs plans to add 750 to 800 tiny homes to its West Los Angeles campus by the end of 2026, but veterans who sued for more housing say the 8-foot-by-8-foot sheds are inadequate. (Smith, 1/22)
The (Clarita Valley) Signal:
Food Pantry Staff On Strike; Leader On Leave After Alleging Board Fraud
The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, which helps thousands of food-insecure residents put meals on the table each month, temporarily closed Monday without notice, and its executive director said she has been placed on paid leave after raising a concern about potential fraud. (Smith, 1/26)
The Mendocino Voice:
Willits Residents Map Out Food Security Solutions For An Equitable Future
Willits community members gathered in the Little Lake Grange Saturday to work on a year-long action plan for food security. The meeting was café style — eight discussion tables, each with a different facilitator, worked on topics related to how to help secure food security sustainably. (Robinson, 1/26)
The New York Times:
Who Decides When A Home Is Safe? A California Bill Says Science, Not Insurers.
Following a Times investigation, a state lawmaker is proposing the first health-based standards for assessing smoke contamination after wildfires. (Callimachi and Migliozzi, 1/27)
CalMatters:
Residents Of A Polluted California Town Pinned Hopes On New State Rules. They’re Still Waiting
Residents of Kettleman City live surrounded by pollution. Farms spray pesticides on almond and pistachio trees in this farmtown. A composting facility handles human sewage waste nearby. Particulate matter and diesel fumes from heavy freeway traffic fill the air. And the West Coast’s largest hazardous waste landfill is just a few miles away from town. (Reyes-Velarde, 1/27)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Suicides In San Diego County Have Increased For Past Three Years
Rates remain lower than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said during a news conference Tuesday. (Sisson, 1/27)
Palo Alto Daily Post:
Stanford And Katie Meyer’s Family Settle Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Stanford has settled a lawsuit with the family of Katie Meyer, a star soccer player who died by suicide in her dorm after receiving a discipline letter from the university. (Cartwright, 1/26)
Politico:
Social Media Giants Face Landmark Youth Addiction Trial In California
A trial kicking off this week in Los Angeles will weigh one of the most fraught questions of the digital age: whether social media giants are responsible for harming children. (Katzenberger and Mui, 1/27)
The Sacramento Bee:
'Inhumane' Conditions At CA Immigrant Detention Center? Padilla: Yes. DHS: No
“No basis in reality.” Sen. Padilla rebukes Department of Homeland Security defense of immigration detention site. (Lightman, 1/27)
The LA Local:
Man’s Infected Finger Burst After Adelanto Staff Waited Months To Give Him Antibiotics: Lawsuit
A man suffering a seizure went without oxygen as guards watched him convulse on the floor, and another was not given antibiotics for a severe staph infection that led his finger to burst — allegations that civil rights attorneys and immigration advocates say reveal just how inhumane and unconstitutional conditions have become for people at the Adelanto detention center in San Bernardino County. (Peña, 1/26)
