Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
POLITICS
CalMatters: California Bill Could Switch Your Biologic Drug To Save Money
Senate Bill 1094 would let insurers and pharmacists swap costly biologic drugs for cheaper alternatives, with limits. (Ibarra, 9/14)
The Desert Sun: What Voters Should Know Before California's General Election
A comprehensive explainer on the 2026 California gubernatorial race between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, highlighting key campaign issues including affordability, housing, homelessness, and climate policy. (Segura, 9/14)
The Sacramento Bee: California Sues To Block Trump Change To Public Charge Rule
The rule has drawn criticism from opponents who say it could cause some families to choose between using safety net programs and risking rejection of their applications for green cards. (Miranda, 9/14)
Bay Area News Group: Central Marin Voters Consider Paramedic Tax Extensions
The property tax revenues would provide more than $3.3 million a year to support the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, a joint powers agency, and paramedic services for the Central Marin Fire Department. (Rodriguez, 9/13)
KQED: California Joins Suit Over Trump Rule Making It Harder For Immigrants To Get Green Cards
Companion lawsuits filed in New York federal court Monday allege that a rule change set to take effect Friday would unlawfully upend years of immigration policy, and could have reverberating negative effects on local medical systems, schools and economies.(DeBenedetti, 9/14)
Bay Area News Group: MarinHealth Medical Center Parcel Tax Pitch Heads For Voters
The ballot question says the tax will provide funding for “expanded and upgraded emergency room, intensive care, hospital, and other medical facilities to care for trauma, heart attack, stroke and other patients and attract qualified doctors and nurses.” (Halstead, 9/12)
Imperial Valley Press Online: IVHD Endorses Measure N To Secure Local Emergency Services
The Imperial Valley Healthcare District Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to endorse Measure N, a November ballot initiative aimed at preventing local hospital closures and expanding critical medical care across the region. (9/15)
Los Angeles Times: Newsom Says He Won't Run For President If Harris Does
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would not run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 if Kamala Harris does so, appearing to offer deference to the former vice president ahead of a race that could draw a historically crowded field of candidates. (McDaniel, 9/14)
GUBERNATORIAL RACE
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
inewsource: Migrant Kids Spend Weeks In Short-Term Immigration Detention
In declarations to the court, migrants described “freezing” cold cells with exposed toilets, little time outside and limited access to soap and toothpaste. (Mejías-Pascoe, 9/10)
KQED: How Trump’s Immigration Policies Can Leave Doctors Feeling Powerless
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is making it harder for primary care doctors who work with immigrant patients to do their jobs, a UCSF study finds. (Rancaño, 9/13)
health industry
Red Bluff Daily News: PHI Air Medical Suspends Red Bluff Airport Operations
Effective today, PHI Air Medical is suspending its Red Bluff operations at the Red Bluff Municipal Airport because major health insurance companies are failing to reimburse it for its services. (Taylor, 9/14)
Santa Maria Times: Lompoc PD Launches Flock Drone Program For Faster Emergency Response
The Lompoc Police Department recently announced the launch of a new Drone as First Responder program designed to support faster response, improve situational awareness, and help officers and emergency personnel make more informed decisions during calls for service. (9/14)
Southern California News Group: UC Global Health Institute To Be Headquartered At UC Irvine
The organization spans six academic health centers, 21 health professional schools and services University of California employees, faculty and students. (Le, 9/15)
HEALTH COSTS AND COVERAGE
San Francisco Examiner: New CalFresh Requirements Confuse Some San Franciscans
According to the San Francisco Human Services Agency, an estimated 17,000 could lose coverage due to new work and eligibility requirements enacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (Gurevich, 9/14)
San Francisco Examiner: Bay Area Nonprofits Help Run SF Mayor Lurie's Work Program
Mayor Daniel Lurie this month issued $6 million in grants to Project Open Hand and United Way Bay Area for the CalFresh Community Works Program, an initiative serving the almost 133,000 residents, that is aimed at helping people meet the new requirements and maintain access to their benefits. (Salazar, 9/15)
VC Star: Gold Coast Health Plan Sued Over Alleged $30M-Plus In Unpaid Claims
Ventura County’s Medi-Cal plan owes a health system that operates hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo more than $30 million in unpaid claims, a lawsuit alleges. (Kisken, 9/10)
Ventura County Star: St. John's Parent Company Sues Medi-Cal Plan For Over $30M Left Unpaid
Gold Coast Health Plan is being sued by a hospital system that alleges it is owed more than $30 million in unpaid claims. (Kisken, 9/10)
public health
Ventura County Star: COVID-19 Cases Rise In Ventura County And Across California
It's an uptick and not yet a surge but COVID-19 cases are rising in Ventura County. (Kisken, 9/11)
KQED: A New Covid Vaccine Is Here (Without Much Fanfare). When Should You Get It?
A primer on how to understand the latest guidelines, why you’re not hearing anything from the CDC, and when you should consider getting your own vaccine to lower your chances of getting a nasty bout of Covid-19. (Severn, 9/10)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: As CDC Warns Of Rising Rabies Calls Nationwide, Sonoma County Health Officials Focus On Bats
Sonoma County health officials have a simple message for anyone who finds a dead bat in their backyard, on the street or on a local trail: don’t touch it — it may have rabies. (Espinoza, 9/12)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: 'A Steady Input Of These Chemicals': Report Finds Cocktail Of Industrial Chemical Pollution In Tijuana River
A yearlong water quality study found industrial chemicals, heavy metals and pesticides regularly entering the river from Mexico, a pattern the nonprofit's executive director says points to unregulated discharges from manufacturing plants. (Armstrong, 9/14)
Imperial Valley Press Online: Extreme Heat Surge Triggers 270 Cases, 14 Deaths In Imperial County
Data released by the Imperial County Public Health Department shows 256 emergency department visits and 32 hospitalizations across the region between March 12 and Sept. 3, 2026. (9/12)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: County, CDC To Launch Second Health Survey On Tijuana River Sewage Crisis
The follow-up CASPER survey, running Sept. 17-19, will be compared to findings from a 2024 assessment that found widespread health concerns among South Bay residents. (Armstrong, 9/10)
The Stockton Record: What To Know About Rabies Exposure, Symptoms And Treatment
While rabies in humans is very rare in the United States, public health officials advise residents and visitors, especially those with young children, to be on the lookout for infected wildlife when out in nature. (Cattani, USA Today Network, 9/11)
Southern California News Group: Controversial New Rules To Reduce Pollution In Santa Ana River Basin Stormwater Ok’d By Water Board
The new regulations would require local government agencies to implement systems to keep trash and other contaminants from polluting the waterway. The regulations will take effect in 90 days. (Carreón Jr., 9/11)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
housing
Ventura County Star: Oxnard Nonprofit Backs Away From Santa Paula Shelter Takeover
Rescue Mission Alliance voted against acquiring the Spirit of Santa Paula shelter, citing strategic concerns. (Woods II, 9/14)
Southern California News Group: In El Monte, A Transformed Motel M Homeless Housing Project Gets Added Funding
he El Monte City Council has unanimously approved a more-than $400,000 funding agreement toward the soon-to-be renovated completion of a high-profile, long-in-the-works El Monte Homekey Program site to provide interim housing for people experiencing homelessness. (Silla, 9/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Why A Pro-MAGA Think Tank Is Cheering A New S.F. Homelessness Policy
Why the Cicero Institute, a pro-MAGA think tank, is praising S.F. Mayor Daniel Lurie for a new homelessness policy. (Bauman, 9/13)
The Desert Sun: How At-Risk Riverside County Youth Can Find Shelter And Other Help
While SafeHouse of the Desert has not housed youth at its emergency shelter in Thousand Palms for more than a year, other services remain available locally, and young people who need emergency shelter still have options through the nonprofit. (Segura and Cortez, 9/12)
SUBSTANCE USE
The New York Times: A Teen Autopsy Marks The Arrival Of A Deadly Drug In San Francisco
City officials — and one determined mother — are working to stop the spread of cychlorphine, which is far more potent than fentanyl. (Knight, 9/14)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Shuttered Drug And Alcohol Treatment Facility In National City To Reopen
San Diego County will soon gain 89 beds at a facility that allows the treatment of life-threatening addiction and residential sober living under the “harm reduction” model, which includes medication-assisted addiction treatment. (Sisson, 9/14)
MENTAL HEALTH
Red Bluff Daily News: Red Bluff Raises Awareness, Shares Support For Suicide Prevention
Anyone wandering into the Cone & Kimball Plaza in Red Bluff on Thursday night was greeted by a welcoming, cheerful atmosphere and a sea of black T-shirts encouraging “Don’t end your story on an unfinished chapter.” (Taylor, 9/12)
CalMatters: What To Know About Self-Harm As Emergency Room Visits Increase
California policymakers have paid close attention to youth mental health during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, including backing a voter-approved 2024 ballot measure that dedicated billions of dollars to building more capacity for treatment. Newsom also supported a $4.3 billion surge in funding for youth mental programs in the budget he signed in 2022. (Durham, 9/14)
Lodinews.com: Hothi Praises Bills Intended To Protect Kids From AI, Social Media
“Together, these measures establish some of the strongest protections for kids and families anywhere in the world, addressing harmful Al chatbot interactions, addictive social media practices and accountability when technology companies cause real harm to children,” Lodi City Councilman Mikey Hothi, said. (Bowers, 9/12)
SCHOOLS
Southern California News Group: Torrance Parents Demand Solutions As Children Suffer From Hot Classrooms
"My own children have come home with heat rashes from school,” one parent told the Torrance Unified School District board. Other parents reported children coming home severely dehydrated, with frequent headaches and nosebleeds. (Armstrong, 9/14)
KQED: Trauma-Informed Daycare Center In LA Serves Families Affected By Gangs
An experimental new daycare for families who have been involved with gangs, the program aims to help heal any family trauma. (Alam, 9/14)
The Modesto Bee: Stanislaus County Considers Cuts To Child Welfare Staff
Stanislaus County supervisors on Tuesday could approve cutting 71 full-time positions, mostly inside the Community Services Agency to remedy an $18 million operating deficit that resulted from poor accounting. (Carlson, 9/14)
other california news
Manteca Bulletin: Land Swap For New Fire Station Offers Strategic Response Location
Excessive land acquired by the City of Manteca to construct the McKinley Avenue/120 Bypass is being used in a no-cost land swap with a private developer to secure a “strategic strong” location for the city’s next fire station. (Wyatt, 9/15)
Bay Area News Group: Expansion Of Autism Center In San Jose Advances With Property Purchase
A proposed expansion of an autism center in San Jose has taken a step forward with a real estate deal that helps advance the creation of a "Dream Campus 2.0" at the site. (Avalos, 9/14)
VC Star: Food Share Marks Milestone For $50M Facility At Groundbreaking
Food Share broke ground Sept. 11 on its $50 million, 85,000-square-foot regional food bank on Mariner Drive in Oxnard. (Galang, 9/13)
Phys.org: Healthy Checkout Policy Shows Promise For Reducing Soda Sales And Increasing Healthy Snack Purchases
In March 2021, Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the world to ban the display of sugary beverages and snacks in store checkout lanes, where candy, chocolate and soda are commonly placed to encourage impulse buying while shoppers are in line. A new study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) examined the effects of this healthy checkout ordinance (HCO) on shoppers' purchasing decisions and found that the policy was linked to a decrease in soda sales and small-package candy sales in supermarkets, but not total candy sales. (9/11)
