California Weekly Roundup: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
health industry
San Francisco Chronicle:
County Pauses Major Layoffs At Cash-Strapped Alameda Health System
Alameda Health System, the county’s safety net health care system that runs Highland Hospital in Oakland, will defer major layoffs that were slated for March 9. (Ho, 3/3)
HEALTH COSTS AND COVERAGE
CalMatters:
California Democrats Revive Single-Payer Health Care Promise
Gavin Newsom ran on single-payer health care and failed to achieve it, but the progressive goal remains a staple Democratic campaign promise. (Kuang, 3/4)
CalMatters:
Californians Are Staying Insured -- But Settling For Health Coverage They May Not Use
California's health insurance marketplace held steady despite lost federal subsidies. Enrollees are shifting to lower-quality bronze plans. (Ibarra, 2/28)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
An Obscure County Program Pays For A Few Dozen San Diegans’ Health Care. Sales-Tax Hike Backers Have Bigger Ideas.
At any given time, just two people are enrolled in County Medical Services. Unions and Democratic supervisors want to expand it. (Robinson, 3/1)
LGBTQ+
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Must Let Schools Forcibly Out Transgender Students, SCOTUS Rules
California lawmakers in 2024 passed a measure that forbids schools from requiring educators to disclose to parents when a student identifies as transgender. (Egelko, 3/2)
CalMatters:
'Shocking': What Supreme Court Ruling On Transgender Policy Means For California Students
Advocates for transgender youth vowed to keep fighting Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked — at least temporarily — a California policy protecting the privacy of transgender students in K-12 schools. (Jones, 3/4)
MENTAL HEALTH
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom: S.F. Is Among The Worst Counties For Implementing CARE Court
Gov. Gavin Newsom named San Francisco County’s CARE Court program as one of the lowest-performing in California on Monday, as part of a new effort to bolster his signature mental health care program. (Bollag, 3/2)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Who Blew The Whistle On An Overdose-Prevention Contractor? County Officials Give Conflicting Accounts.
As the criminal investigation broadens into how the Harm Reduction Coalition of San Diego handled millions of taxpayer dollars, county officials have given conflicting information about how the alleged fraud was discovered and who alerted prosecutors. (McDonald and Davis, 3/3)
public health
The Sacramento Bee:
Lesser-Known Virus Rises In Northern California. What Is Human Metapneumovirus?
A respiratory virus has been hammering Northern California cities. WastewaterSCAN data shows “high concentrations” of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, in Sacramento and Davis, along with San Francisco, Marin, Vallejo, Napa, Novato and Santa Rosa. (Sweeney, 3/3)
CalMatters:
California Measles Outbreaks Strain Public Health Agencies
Investigating any communicable disease is time-intensive and expensive. The first three measles cases reported in L.A. County this year cost an estimated $231,000, according to a health department analysis.
Why does it cost so much? Because a disease investigation often requires a legion of public health nurses, physicians, epidemiologists and laboratory scientists to follow-up with hundreds of contacts, Balter said. (Hwang, 3/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Orange County Residents Fear Herbicides Are Poisoning Waterways
A group of residents is demanding answers from Orange County officials about herbicide spraying in waterways. (James, 3/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
New AI Data Centers Threaten California’s Limited Water Resources
OPINION: The rapid construction of new data centers to power the AI boom will threaten already limited water resources in the West even further. (Hayden, 3/2)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
UC Santa Cruz Study Finds Link Between Pregnancy And Reduced Breast Cancer Risk
Early pregnancy, between the ages of 20 and 30, has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life. The reason why has stumped scientists for years. Now, a research group from UC Santa Cruz has found evidence suggesting that early pregnancy can permanently change the way breast cells age, preventing the accumulation of a type of cells that may contribute to tumor growth. (Hemphill, 3/1)
housing
KQED:
It’s Expensive To Build Housing. California Lawmakers Say Factory-Built Is The Future
As the cost of living continues to pinch Californians, state lawmakers have a new focus: bringing down the cost of housing construction to get more homes built quickly. (Bandlamudi, 3/2)
inewsource:
Encinitas Joins San Diego City, County In Closing Section 8 Waitlists
Encinitas announced in February that it would stop taking people off of its 1,137-person waitlist for Section 8 vouchers. That means that for the foreseeable future, no new people in the city will receive rental assistance. It’s the latest in what has been a domino of closing waitlists for housing vouchers across San Diego County. (Futterman, 3/2)
AGING
Imperial Valley Press:
Imperial County Ranks Top In California For Alzheimer’s Prevalence; Local Support Groups Expand Reach
In a startling revelation of the public health challenges facing the Imperial Valley, new data shows that Imperial County holds the highest prevalence rate of Alzheimer’s disease in California. (Bojorquez, 2/28)
Voice of OC:
Another Orange County City Dials Back Senior Transportation
Orange County seniors face reduced access to low-cost rides as local officials cut senior transportation services amid surging demand. (Hicks, 3/2)
Voice of San Diego:
Seniors Stay Longer At Homeless Shelters Than Others
On average, seniors stay longer at homeless shelters than younger San Diegans. They have few housing options and work prospects. (Barba, 3/2)
other california news
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Supervisors Move To Pursue Expansion Of Little-Used County Medical Program
The County Medical Services program is 'not a badge of pride' in its current state, said Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe. (Robinson, 3/3)
Voice of OC:
Garden Grove Moves To Ban Whippets
Recreational nitrous oxide, known as “whippets” or “galaxy gas,” can be inhaled to create a high and can lead to “neurological, hematologic [related to blood], and psychiatric complications, including nerve damage and psychosis” if abused, according to the Yale School of Medicine. (King, 3/2)
Imperial Valley Press:
New Pilot Program Aims To Turn Disability Into Entrepreneurial Opportunity
The initiative is a first-of-its-kind pilot designed to help individuals with disabilities and their full-time caregivers transition from financial dependence to business ownership. (Bojorquez, 2/28)
San Francisco Examiner:
Golden Gate Suicide Survivor Producing Doc About Safety Nets
More than two decades after he survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, Kevin Hines is working on a new documentary project, a documentary called “Death Bridge.” (Gurevich, 3/3)
Santa Maria Times:
Vitalant Offering $10,000 Drawing To Boost March Blood Donations
Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant is urging residents to donate blood in March, and earn a chance to win $10,000 as part of a seasonal campaign to maintain local supplies. (3/2)
