California Weekly Roundup: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
USA Today:
Folic Acid Now Required In Masa Flour, Corn Tortillas In California
The move to require folic acid in corn masa aims to particularly benefit Latina women, who are less likely to take it early on in pregnancy, according to public health data released by the state. (Moniuszko, 3/31)
KQED:
Thousands Of Immigrants Will Lose Access To CalFresh On April 1. Here’s What To Know
Starting Wednesday, tens of thousands of humanitarian immigrants across California will no longer be eligible for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, benefits that are still sometimes referred to as food stamps. (Khan, 4/1)
The Fresno Bee:
After Complaints, Physician Ordered To Oversee Medical Care At CA’s Largest ICE Center
A physician experienced at auditing federal detention facilities has been appointed by a federal district judge to monitor healthcare delivery at California’s largest ICE detention facility. (Montalvo, 3/31)
Los Angeles Times:
As Fourth Man Dies At Adelanto ICE Detention Center, Mexican Officials Call For Investigation
Four Mexican nationals have died at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, which is facing a federal class-action lawsuit. Mexico is calling for an investigation into the deaths. (Mejia and Vives, 3/30)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Private Health Data Still Being Given To ICE, California Says
The Trump administration has defied a federal judge’s order by sharing private information, including street addresses, of millions of low-income Americans with immigration officers who are conducting mass deportations, California and other states say in a court filing. The Trump administration doesn’t appear to be denying it. (Egelko, 3/30)
San Francisco Chronicle:
The San Francisco Immigration Court Is Being Dismantled
Staffing of the San Francisco immigration court has been decimated over the past year — and removal orders have spiked. (Leonard, 3/30)
The Orange County Register:
Xavier Becerra Leans Into His Health Care Background While Campaigning For Governor In Orange County
Xavier Becerra says he wants to be the “health care governor” for California. To do that, he’s barnstorming the state, stopping at community health centers along the way. (Schallhorn, 3/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Demonstrators Arrested, Tear Gassed At 'No Kings' Protest
More than 70 protesters were arrested Saturday evening after authorities shot tear gas and pepper balls into the crowd, leaving at least one teen with an eye wound and others with skin burns, according to demonstrators and police. (Sheets and Tchekmedyian, 3/29)
USA Today Network:
College Of The Siskiyous Reopens RN Program For Vocational Nurses
College of the Siskiyous says it’s reopening its LVN to RN Step-Up Program, with classes set to begin in July. (Skropanic, 3/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Kaiser Made $9.3 Billion Last Year. Critics Say It Has Strayed From Its Charitable Mission
Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit health group, has veered from its charitable mission and is now scarcely distinguishable from a corporation keenly focused on its bottom line, according to critics. (Petersen, 3/29)
Capitol Weekly:
CIRM Gets First Approval Of A One-And-Done Gene Therapy
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has received federal approval for a medical therapy for an immune disorder called LAD-1 (severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1). (Jensen, 3/31)
Bloomberg:
Elizabeth Holmes Gets A Year Knocked Off Her Prison Sentence
Elizabeth Holmes, disgraced founder of the Palo Alto company Theranos Inc., got a year knocked off her 11 1/4-year prison term under a change in sentencing guidelines that applies to convicts with no previous criminal history. (Hurtado and Blumberg, 3/26)
The Oaklandside:
As 3 Oakland Homeless Shelters Close, Outcomes In Question
A West Oakland “community cabin” site and 71st Avenue RV lot are shutting down. A hotel is undergoing a planned conversion to affordable housing. (Orenstein, 3/31)
Bay Area News Group:
Half Moon Bay Defends Housing Record After Newsom’s ‘Final Warning’
Half Moon Bay says it has built 144 units since 2023, nearing a third of its housing target. (Macasero, 3/31)
Santa Monica Daily Press:
Santa Monica Opens Berkeley Station Modular Housing
Santa Monica marked a milestone in its effort to address the regional housing crisis Thursday with the ribbon cutting of Berkeley Station, the city's first modular affordable housing development, offering 13 affordable apartments for low-income families and young adults facing housing insecurity. (Hall, 3/31)
inewsource:
Emergency Housing Voucher Funds Running Out In San Diego
More than 650 San Diego households that were promised rental assistance through 2030 during the COVID-19 pandemic have to look for a new place to live because their federal funding has run out years ahead of schedule. (Kincaid, 4/1)
Bloomberg:
In LA And SF, Urban Alchemy Offers An Unorthodox Fix For Homelessness
San Francisco-based Urban Alchemy runs shelters and patrols streets in several cities, armed with a salty slogan, a controversial model and a reputation for moving fast. (Sisson, 3/31)
The Fresno Bee:
Fresno Unified Retirees Sue Over Medicare Advantage Change
Fresno Unified retirees filed a class action lawsuit against the school district, alleging it caused serious harm to retirees’ health and well-being by switching retirees’ healthcare plan to a Medicare Advantage plan in 2023. (Zhong, 3/31)
EdSource:
New Bill Proposes Reforming Special Education By Empowering California Families
Local organizations train and organize parents, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into coordination and action in Sacramento, according to the bill's supporters. (Gallegos, 3/26)
KVPR:
Transitional Kindergarten Offers Special Needs Support. Rural Schools Struggle To Offer It.
While health experts say transitional kindergarten is beneficial for students with a disability, some rural school districts say they have to stretch already existing resources to make ends meet. (Livinal, 3/26)
Los Angeles Times:
After California, More States Consider Requiring Folic Acid In Corn Tortillas
California this year became the first state to require food makers to add folic acid, a crucial vitamin, to corn masa flour used to make tortillas and other foods. Other states may do likewise. (Aleccia and Taxin, 3/29)
Los Angeles Times:
Californian Chocolate Recalled For Being Spiked With Viagra Ingredients
Two chocolate products, marketed for sexual enhancement, were found to contain active ingredients used to treat erectile dysfunction, the FDA announced Thursday. (Luna, 3/30)
Santa Monica Daily Press:
UCLA Heat Maps Reveal Stark Disparities In Who Suffers Most During Extreme Heat
Heat maps developed by the UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions show that emergency room visits during heat events cluster disproportionately in lower-income communities with less tree cover, including South Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and East Los Angeles. (Alin, 3/30)
Oaklandside:
AC Transit Plans Healthcare Cost Cut — And Unions Push Back
Bus drivers, mechanics, and other transit workers showed up in force to oppose a change to their health plans they fear will drive up costs. (Fermoso, 3/26)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
‘The Status Quo Isn’t Acceptable’: How A San Diego Lawmaker Aims To Help The Hardest-To-Reach People With Mental Illness
Sen. Catherine Blakespear's bill, SB 1016, would broaden access to court-ordered assessments and reach people who advocates say are slipping through the cracks. (Davis and Sisson, 3/29)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
‘Please Help Me’ Were His Last Words, Uttered In A Jail Cell And Ignored By A Deputy. He Died Hours Later.
"I can’t breathe," said Bobby Ray Patton Jr., who was being treated for pneumonia. "I’m having chest pain so bad." (McDonald and Davis, 4/1)
KVPR:
Justice Department Probing Housing Of Trans Women At Prisons, Including In Madera County
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether California and Maine violate female inmates’ rights by housing them with transgender women. Officials say in a Thursday press release the Civil Rights Division is examining two women’s prisons in California and the Maine Correctional Center. (Har, 3/27)
The Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus OKs Plan For Use Of Opioid Settlement Funds
Stanislaus County expects to receive more than $50 million in funds from settlement of state lawsuits against drug manufacturers and pharmacy chains tied to the nation’s opioid crisis. County supervisors approved some recommendations Tuesday for spending the money. (Carlson, 3/31)
Bakersfield Now:
Kern River Valley Rallies For Lake Isabella Boy, 8, Battling Rare Leukemia
An 8-year-old boy from Lake Isabella is facing a rare form of leukemia, and the Kern River Valley community is rallying to help his family manage the long road ahead, including the challenge of traveling for specialized medical care. (Roldan, 3/31)
