Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Sacramento Bee: House Votes To End Shutdown As California Lawmakers Split Along Party Lines
All nine California Republicans voted for the bill. Forty-two of the 43 California Democrats voted no. The only Democratic yes vote was Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego. (Lightman, 2/3)
KCRA: CA Dems Blast Federal Spending Plan Without Health Care Subsidies
The spending package approved this week keeps the federal government funded, but it does not address the expiration of key Affordable Care Act health care subsidies—an issue that lawmakers say was the primary driver of last year’s record 43-day government shutdown. (Ming, 3/3)
Politico: Newsom Bets Big On Trump’s Goodwill To Shrink California’s Budget Hole
Gavin Newsom is making a billion-dollar gamble in his latest budget plan, banking on money from a tax on health insurance carriers to help close a projected deficit. (Bluth, 1/28)
The Washington Post: Gavin Newsom Sat By His Mother During Her Assisted Suicide, And Came To Terms With Anger And Grief
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s account of his mother’s death at the age of 55 by assisted suicide, and his feelings of grief and remorse toward a woman with whom he had a loving but complex relationship, is one of the most revealing and emotional passages in the California governor’s book, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery,” which will be published Feb. 24. (Reston, 2/4)
San Francisco Examiner: New Covered California Enrollment Down After Subsidies Lapse
New enrollment in California’s Affordable Care Act health-insurance marketplace fell by nearly one-third from the previous year, according to state officials, with federal insurance-premium subsidies no longer in place. (Gurevich, 2/2)
Los Angeles Times: Expiration Of Federal Health Insurance Subsidies: What To Know In California
Thousands in California who rely on the state-run health insurance marketplace face premiums that are thousands of dollars higher as federal subsidies expire. (Peterson, 1/28)
Los Angeles Times: Healthcare Experts Warn 'People Will Die' Unless State Steps Up Amid Federal Cuts
As massive federal cuts are upending the health care system in California, analysts and health care professionals are urging the state to soften the blow by creating new revenue streams and helping residents navigate through the red tape. (King, 2/1)
CalMatters: Valadao's Medicaid Vote Could Cost Him His California Seat
Rep. David Valadao cast the deciding vote to slash Medicaid despite representing a California district where 64% of constituents rely on it. (Miller, 2/2)
Los Angeles Times: Planned Parenthood, Reproductive Healthcare Could Receive $90 Million In New State Funding
California will bolster funding for Planned Parenthood and other providers of reproductive health with a one-time infusion of $90 million, leaders of the state Legislature announced Friday. (King, 1/30)
Los Angeles Times: California Doctor Sent Abortion Pills To Texas Woman. Under A New Law, Her Boyfriend Is Suing
A California doctor this week became the first physician to be sued under a new Texas law that allows private citizens to pursue civil legal action against anyone who provides abortion medication in Texas. (Fry, 2/3)
KCRA: California Sues Hospital For Complying With Trump Administration's Gender-Affirming Care Policy
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, alleging that the hospital violated the terms of its merger agreement with Children's Hospital of Orange County by discontinuing gender-affirming care for minors. (Joseph, 2/1)
Politico: Trump Administration Finds California’s Ban On ‘Forced Outing’ Of Students Violates Federal Law
Federal officials threatened to pull education funding unless the state takes steps to amend its rules. (He, 1/28)
CalMatters: California State Workers Must Prove Citizenship Via E-Verify
Thousands of health department employees were told they must use the E-Verify system to keep funding. They are pushing back. (Johnson, 1/29)
Redlands Daily Facts: Deaf LA Teenager Says Immigration Officers Assaulted Him For Not Heeding Commands
Multiple people are heard in the background of a video yelling, “He’s deaf! He cannot hear!” and asking officers not to hurt him. (Vergara, 2/2)
Imperial Valley Press: ICE Blocks Rep. Ruiz From Oversight Visit At Adelanto Facility Amid Surge In Custodial Deaths
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., was denied entry to the Adelanto Detention Facility last Wednesday. (1/30)
The Orange County Register: Future Of Mission Hospital Laguna Beach Not Expected To Include ER, Acute Services
Operators expect to close the emergency room and stop offering acute care services on site as they consider the future of Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach. (Ritchie, 2/2)
Voice of Orange County: Orange County Health Care Workers Strike For Second Week
Over 30,000 health care workers at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in California and Hawaii continue their strike for better pay and staffing. (Hicks, 2/2)
The Morgan Hill Times: Resource Center Brings More Healthcare Options To South County
Santa Clara Family Health Plan has opened the South County Community Resource Center at 150 Leavesley Road in Gilroy. (2/2)
Los Angeles Times: UCLA Medical School Accused Of Systemically Racist Admissions Approach
The Trump administration on Wednesday sought to join a federal lawsuit alleging that UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine illegally considers race in admissions. (Kaleem, 1/28)
Los Angeles Times: Person Infected With Measles Visited Disney California Adventure Park
Orange County confirmed a measles case from an international traveler who visited Disney California Adventure Park. L.A. County confirmed its third case in a resident who went to a Sherman Oaks restaurant. (Lin and Harter, 2/2)
Los Angeles Times: Public Health Department Confirms First Two 2026 Measles Cases In Los Angeles County
The Department of Public Health has confirmed the first 2026 measles cases in Los Angeles County. (Boone and St. John, 1/31)
inewsource: San Diego County Will Fix A Toxic Hotspot In The Tijuana River, Fund Epidemiological Study
They also extended an air purifier distribution program, which doctors and scientists have said is a critical short-term strategy to improve health conditions for residents. (Salata, 1/29)
The Sacramento Bee: Toxic Wild Mushrooms Kill Man In Contra Costa County
A man in his 60s died after eating toxic mushrooms, possibly death cap mushrooms, foraged at a regional park in Contra Costa County, county officials told The Sacramento Bee. (Sweeney, 1/28)
CalMatters: California Mental Health Hospitals Warn Of Cuts After State Hands Down Staffing Rules
California is postponing emergency staffing requirements for acute psychiatric hospitals until June 1 amid bed and workforce shortages. (Hwang, 1/28)
The Modesto Bee: Speech Therapist Pleads Guilty To Battering Child At Sonora School
A Tuolumne County speech therapist has pleaded guilty to battering a young student with autism on a school campus, while two school administrators face misdemeanor charges for allegedly failing to report the incident. (Condoleo, 2/2)
San Francisco Chronicle: Grief Therapists Explain How To Cope With Loss As You Age
Grief and aging go hand in hand, but the kind of grief many older adults experience often catches them off guard. Experts offer tools to help them recover. (Allday, 2/1)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Cuts Nearly $200 Million In Homeless Services
L.A. County Board of Supervisors' move Tuesday to cut nearly $200 million in programs to help the homeless will hit outreach and navigation services hard. (Khouri, 2/3)
San Francisco Examiner: SoMa Residents Push Back On New Homeless, Drug Services
Neighborhood leaders allege new homeless services are still concentrated in SoMa even after the passage of a new law that calls for the even distribution of shelters across San Francisco. (Gurevich, 2/2)
inewsource: Oceanside Volunteers Complete Yearly Count Of Homeless Residents
The Point-in-Time count is widely considered an undercount, but it is the closest thing to an accurate count of the unhoused population. (Futterman, 1/29)
San Francisco Chronicle: Report: Police Are Likelier To Use Force Against Homeless Residents
When police in California stop a driver or pedestrian whom they believe to be homeless, they’re far more likely to search, handcuff, deploy force against and arrest that person than others they pull over, according to a new state report. (Egelko, 2/3)
CalMatters: Cops Have To Treat Marijuana In Your Car Differently After New California Supreme Court Ruling
The high court ruled that police must find marijuana in a condition that’s ready to be smoked if they are going to charge a driver with an open container violation. (Duara, 1/29)
CalMatters: Newsom Touts California’s Drug Enforcement Efforts
Since 2021, Gov. Newsom said, National Guard troops have seized 34,357 pounds of fentanyl worth an estimated $506 million at California ports of entry. (Brennan, 2/3)
The Stockton Record: San Joaquin County To Hold 23 Free Food Distributions In February
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency’s Food For You Program returns this month with 23 food distributions throughout San Joaquin County. (Rocha, 2/3)
USA Today: New SNAP Requirements Started Feb. 1. What Changed In California?
New federal restrictions and requirements to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)started Feb. 1. Here's what to know. (Bridges, Walrath-Holdridge, and Segura, 2/3)
