Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Xavier Becerra, Biden's HHS Secretary, Is Elected California's First Latino Governor In 150 Years
Bloomberg: Becerra Becomes California’s First Latino Governor In 150 Years
Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former congressman and President Joe Biden’s health secretary, cruised to victory as California’s next governor, becoming the first Latino to lead the state in more than 150 years. (Sisco, 11/4)
AP: It’s Too Early To Call The Outcome Of California’s Proposal To Tax Billionaires
A California measure to tax the net worth of billionaires that divided liberal leaders nationally and triggered one of the most expensive ballot fights in state history was too early to call Wednesday morning as the vote tally continued. Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1 billion, with most of the revenue dedicated to replacing federal funding cuts to healthcare. ... With almost 6 million votes yet to be counted, the AP Decision Team will wait for additional vote results before declaring a winner. (Austin, 11/4)
CalMatters: California Election Result: Prop. 44 On Healthcare Spending
California voters have overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 44, which would have required community health clinics to spend at least 90% of their revenue on program services. (Ibarra, 11/3)
CalMatters: CA Election Result: Prop. 38 On Funding Immunology Research
Voters on Tuesday appeared to support Proposition 38, a bond measure that would send billions of dollars for immunology research to find cures for Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and other ailments. Late Tuesday night, Prop. 38 was leading with 56% of the vote compared to 44% against. (Zinshteyn, 11/3)
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Los Angeles Times: Nithya Raman Narrowly Leads Karen Bass In Tight L.A. Mayor's Race
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulled narrowly ahead of Mayor Karen Bass, her onetime political ally, in the race to lead the nation’s second largest city, according to partial returns released Wednesday. Bass, a veteran politician who had been politically weakened in the wake of the 2025 Palisades fire, had been attempting to hold off a vigorous challenge from Raman, who stunned the city’s establishment this year by entering the race at the last minute. (Zahniser, Goldberg, Harter and Haggerty, 11/3)
