Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
health industry
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Biotech Giant Gilead To Lay Off 108 Workers
The Foster City company is one of the Bay Area’s most prominent biotech firms, with a large local workforce and a global business built around treatments for HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer. (Vaziri, 5/5)
CalMatters: California Health Clinics Sue To Block Union Ballot Measure
California health clinics sue to block a union ballot measure requiring them to spend 90% of revenue on patient care. (Hwang, 4/30)
San Francisco Examiner: UCSF Pediatric Housing Site Family House Marks 10 Years
A UCSF pediatric housing site provides services and a temporary home for families whose children are receiving critical care at UCSF for everything from cancer to fetal heart conditions. (Gurevich, 5/4)
North Bay Business Journal: How National Nurses Week Resonates In The North Bay
The annual celebration kicks off May 6 and ends May 12, the birthday of modern nursing founder Florence Nightingale. (Sarfaty, 5/4)
AGING
CapRadio: How A Sacramento Hospice Home Brings ‘Dignity And Compassion’ To People Experiencing Homelessness
Joshua’s House started as the personal mission of former professor Marlene von Friedrichs-Fitzwater, and opened last year. It is the first hospice serving people experiencing homelessness on the West Coast. (Laschinsky and Gonzalez, 5/1)
Healdsburg Tribune: A Resource For Life’s Last Questions
At the end of 2025, the Healdsburg City Council approved 'When the Time Comes,' a new program designed to help residents navigate end-of-life planning and support. (4/29)
POLITICS
San Francisco Chronicle: Trump Slashes Scientific Research Funds. A Massive California Bond Could Offset The Cuts
State Sen. Scott Wiener’s measure would support researchers in the state university system who are desperate for stability. (DiNatale, 5/4)
Politico: Xavier Becerra Unveils His AI Vision For California
Democrat Xavier Becerra is getting serious about tech policy after catapulting into the upper echelon of California’s gubernatorial field. The former Health and Human Services secretary on Monday unveiled an 11-point plan, shared first with POLITICO, that calls for harnessing artificial intelligence in education and government, while implementing guardrails for workers and kids. (Katzenberger and Mui, 5/4)
Mother Jones: RFK Jr. Has Met His Match In This California Congressional Hopeful
Pediatrician and former state senator Richard Pan is on a mission—to make vaccines great again. (Rogers, 4/30)
San Francisco Chronicle: What The Latest Blow To The Voting Rights Act Means For California
In a Louisiana redistricting case, the court took another step toward dismantling the 1965 Voting Rights Act. (Egelko, 4/30)
housing
Orange County Register: OC Homelessness Czar Taking Hits Pending Release Of Homeless Count
Scolded by a county supervisor, warned by a city mayor and questioned by others about comments he denies making, Doug Becht is in the pressure cooker. (Saavedra, 5/5)
CapRadio: Sacramento County’s Largest Homeless Shelter Faces Rising Costs And Delays
A North Highlands site, years in the making, could serve 350 people, but it’s still not open months after the original estimated completion date was set. (Rodriguez, 5/4)
Bay Area News Group: Bay Area Cities Crack Down On RV Living, Pushing Homeless Residents Across Borders
Is the Bay Area's tougher stance on RV living solving homelessness or just moving it? From Oakland to Mountain View, see how new towing policies and parking bans are reshaping city streets. (Stringer, 5/5)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
Los Angeles Times: Court's Mifepristone Ruling Threatens Abortion Access For Rural Californians
A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone. A look at what that means for telehealth and abortion access nationwide. (Begert, 5/2)
San Francisco Examiner: Local Health Experts Concerned About Future Of Abortion Pill
“This ruling will impact all 50 states, including here in California and in New York — states that feel strongly about protecting access,” said Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, a public-health scientist at the Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health research group at UCSF. “It will likely not be resolved in the near future.” (Gurevich, 5/6)
public health
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Local Officials Dedicate Public Health Vending Machine At Petaluma Library
Free hygiene kits, clean socks, contraceptives and more are now available to those in need at the push of a button thanks to Sonoma County's health supply vending machine program. A new machine was recently installed outside the Petaluma library. (Templeton, 5/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: Invasive Mosquitoes Could Surge As Bay Area Season Starts Early
Mild weather is fueling an earlier mosquito surge — and officials are racing to stop an invasive species from exploding in parts of the East Bay. (Ho, 5/3)
The Wall Street Journal: One Of California’s Ritziest Beach Towns Has A Problem: A Tsunami Of Raw Sewage
Coronado was "heaven on earth." Then as much as 30 million gallons a day of Tijuana waste turned its legendary beaches into a no-go zone. (Carlton, 5/4)
San Luis Obispo Tribune: Outbreak Kills 3 On Cruise Ship. What To Know About Hantavirus In California
An outbreak of hantavirus, a disease also found in California, aboard a cruise ship has killed three passengers and sickened others. (Sweeney, 5/5)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Bay Area Ban On New Natural Gas Water Heaters, Set To Take Effect In Seven Months, May Be Relaxed Over Cost Concerns
On Wednesday, the board of the Bay Area Air District, a government agency based in San Francisco, will discuss softening the first-in-the-nation rules, which are set to take effect Jan. 1, to allow exemptions for low-income residents and for people who would need significant, expensive upgrades to their electrical breaker panels or structural changes in their homes to comply.(Rogers, 5/6)
other california news
CalMatters: California Budget Threatens Funding For Mental Health Crisis Teams
As demand for California's crisis teams grows, a budget proposal threatens to end state funding and leave counties with the bill. (Ibarra, 5/5)
Imperial Valley Press Online: ICBHS Celebrates Groundbreaking For Adult Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facility
Imperial County Behavioral Health Services (ICBHS) celebrated Thursday the groundbreaking of the county's new adult residential substance use disorder treatment facility, marking an important milestone in expanding access to critical behavioral health and recovery services for residents across Imperial County. (5/2)
Los Angeles Times: Suspected Arsonist Behind Palisades Fire Looked Up To Luigi Mangione As Hero, Prosecutors Say
The man accused of starting the Palisades fire, one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history, was motivated by a resentment for the rich and viewed Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive, as a Robin Hood-like figure, according to court documents detailing evidence gathered by federal prosecutors. In a court brief filed last week, authorities say a forensic review of his computer showed Jonathan Rinderknecht searched “Free Luigi” and “reddit lets kill all billionaires” in December 2024. (Winton, 5/4)
Pasadena Star News: LA County’s Juvenile Hall ‘Depopulation’ Is Almost Complete; Is It Working?
More youth are in custody now than a year ago across the county's juvenile detention system, which critics now describe as destabilized. (Henry, 5/3)
