Politico: Fearing Trump Cuts, California Democrat Proposes Creating State’s Own NIH 
An ambitious California Democrat wants the world’s fifth-largest economy to create its own National Institutes of Health and vaccine program, saying the state can’t rely on the Trump administration to support research and science. A bill introduced in the California Senate on Thursday, shared first with POLITICO, would create a new state agency to fund the scientific research being slashed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency as well as bolster the vaccine access being questioned by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Bluth, 3/27)

Capital & Main: Stay Hungry: School Kids Learn The ABCs Of Chaos
Federal funding comprises just a fraction of the modest budget of the tiny Pacific Elementary School District. The Santa Cruz County district has one school. Its superintendent, Eric Gross, also serves as the school’s principal and its preschool director. ... The district’s federal funding – about $135,000 annually – has for several years included a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that enables the district to buy food from local growers as part of its school nutrition program. It isn’t much, about $6,000 total, but the money goes directly to purchase produce from four area family farms. (Kreidler, 3/27)

inewsource: Hundreds Of San Diegans Could Lose Rent Help After Trump Cut
Roughly 700 households across San Diego County could lose rental assistance as early as next year, throwing their housing stability into question in the midst of a regional crisis. The Trump administration decided to end a federal pandemic-era emergency housing voucher program five years before expected, according to a letter sent earlier this month to public housing agencies nationwide. Local housing agencies, which use that federal money to help vulnerable families pay rent, are now scrambling to find other options to keep people in this program from falling into homelessness. (Dulaney, 3/27)

Los Angeles Times: Trump's War On Fentanyl Divides Parents Of Overdose Victims
The first time Harold Noriega voted for Donald Trump in 2016, it was from a business standpoint. But when he cast his ballot again in 2024 — two years after his 19-year-old son, Cooper Noriega, took a fentanyl-laced pill and died — his primary motivation had changed. (Mendez, 3/28)

CalMatters: Trump Clawed Back Billions In Federal Health Grants. Here’s How Much California Is Losing 
California may lose more than $1 billion in public health and mental health funding as a result of new federal budget cuts that target COVID-19 pandemic response grants, according to the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency website. (Hwang, 3/27)

Politico: RFK Jr.’s Massive Cuts Stun Staff, Leave Senior Employees Scrambling
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to gut and reorganize the federal health department shocked many people tasked with making it happen, and left others fearful that everything from the safety of the nation’s drug supply to disease response could be at risk. The disaster preparedness agency in the Department of Health and Human Services has just two days to prepare a plan to fold itself into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an HHS official, granted anonymity for fear of retribution. (Cancryn, Cirruzzo, Reader, Lim, Gardner and King, 3/27)

Military.com: Senate Confirms Deputy VA Secretary As Department Preps For Mass Firings 
The Department of Veterans Affairs has a new No. 2 official after the Senate voted along party lines Thursday to approve Paul Lawrence as deputy VA secretary. Lawrence, a former Army captain who served as the VA's under secretary for benefits in the first Trump administration, was approved in a 51-45 vote Thursday, an unusually partisan split for a VA nominee. By contrast, VA Secretary Doug Collins, who has since become toxic for Democrats, was approved 77-23 last month. (Kheel, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Veterans Crisis Line Operators Say They Feel Battered By Trump, Musk 
About 2,600 times each day, someone has a story for the Veterans Crisis Line. The calls to the Department of Veterans Affairs hotline always vary, both in intensity and duration. Phone operators talk callers through their problems, enlisting help from local first responders or other VA programs when warranted. But over the past six weeks, employees at the crisis line have been left reeling over President Donald Trump’s cuts to the staffing and contracts of federal agencies, including VA. (Craig, 3/27)

The Desert Sun: Trump Administration Suspends Truckloads Of Food Bank Aid Earmarked For California
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stopped 330 truckloads bound for food banks across California, according to the California Association of Food Banks. (Ward and Carlson, 3/27)

Becker's Hospital Review: 75% Of This Hospital's Patients Are On Medicaid. Here's How It's Bracing For Potential Cuts
As CEO of MLK Community Healthcare — a safety-net health system based in South Los Angeles — Elaine Batchlor, MD, has a lot on her plate. But in recent weeks, her strategy has been dominated by proposed cuts to Medicaid funding — and what they could mean for the community and for the survival of the system’s 131-bed Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital. Dr. Batchlor, who is also a University of California regent, ... spoke with Becker’s on March 26 about the proposed cuts and how she is preparing her leadership team and board for the possibility of reductions. (Gooch, 3/27)

Bloomberg: Senators Seek To Modify Tax Plan To Require Fewer Medicaid Cuts
Senate Republicans are working to change a House GOP tax plan to require fewer cuts in Medicaid health benefits for the poor and disabled, seeking to mollify members of the party worried about a public backlash. The move, which is not finalized, also pares back requirements for other spending cuts but risks alienating deficit hawks in both the Senate and the House. Fiscal conservatives in the party want steep spending cuts to help offset the multi-trillion-dollar tax-cut package. (Wasson and House, 3/27)

Becker's Hospital Review: Hospital Finance, Supply Leaders Predict 15% Increase In Tariff-Related Costs
In a survey of 200 healthcare industry experts, 82% said they expect tariff-related import expenses to increase hospital and health system costs by 15% in the next six months. Black Book Market Research, a healthcare research and analysis firm, conducted the survey in late January — about a month before the U.S. enacted 25% tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on items from China. (Twenter, 3/27)

Axios: New Chan Zuckerberg Biohub To Focus On Cells' Inner Workings
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is launching a biohub focused on developing new imaging technologies that allow scientists to study the inner workings of living cells. Next-generation imaging tools could give researchers a better understanding of the processes that govern cells, especially when they go awry due to disease. Those insights could be used to develop new treatments. (Snyder, 3/27)

Modesto Bee: Cardiologist Honored For His Career In Stanislaus County
The Stanislaus Medical Society is recognizing the career of a leading cardiologist in Modesto. Dr. Satnam Ludder is receiving the John Darroch Award for Physician of the Year, which goes to a doctor who exemplifies high-quality medical practice, dedication to patient care and contributions to medical education. (Carlson, 3/27)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Launches DEI Investigation Into California Medical School
The Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights is investigating an unnamed California medical school following allegations of discrimination in its admission practices. The agency said Thursday it received information that the school was allegedly admitting students based on race, color or national origin. The complaints, if affirmed, would violate an executive order President Donald Trump signed Jan. 21, his second day in office. (DeSilva, 3/27)

CalMatters: California Not Backing Down On Trans Student Privacy — Despite President Trump’s Threat To Yank Funding
California officials said they won’t back down from a state law that protects the privacy of transgender students, despite the Trump administration’s threat today to withhold federal funding over the issue. (Jones, 3/27)

LAist: Judge Blasts LA Homeless Spending As A ‘Train Wreck’ And Threatens To Seize Control
A frustrated federal judge on Thursday lambasted L.A. city officials for failing to properly track billions in spending on homelessness, and called for a forensic audit to look into potential fraud and waste. He also threatened to appoint a court-ordered receiver to take control of the spending. At a hearing in downtown L.A., U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter convened a who’s who of top officials, including Mayor Karen Bass, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and City Controller Kenneth Mejia. (Gerda and Rynning, 3/27)

LAist: LA County Leaders Want To Preserve Homeless Prevention Funds, But Some Programs Still Face Cuts
Los Angeles County leaders approved a new $908 million annual homelessness budget this week, a small chunk of which — about 2% — will go toward programs that aim to stop people from becoming homeless in the first place. But while the county’s Board of Supervisors reversed some planned budget cuts to homelessness prevention programs, they voted to eliminate funding to other programs. As a result, prevention advocates say, many people at risk of losing their housing could struggle to get legal help. (Wagner, 3/28)

Los Angeles Times: Hermosa Beach Bans Camping In All Public Areas To Address Homelessness
Following the lead of several other Southern California cities, the Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday to adopt an anti-camping policy for all public areas in an attempt to keep the city a “safe and sanitary environment for all.” The new policy repeals the previous code, which banned camping only at parks and the beach. To address the homeless crisis, cities around Southern California have recently adopted policies banning camping in all public areas, following last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows cities more authority to regulate homeless encampments. (Solorzano, 3/27)

Politico: 23andMe Collapse Raises Questions For California’s Nation-Leading Privacy Laws
Mounting concerns about genetic data privacy in the wake of 23andMe’s dramatic collapse are stress-testing California’s uniquely tough privacy laws, demonstrating the real-world challenges of actually implementing the protections outlined on paper. California has some of the strongest privacy laws in the country — and the only dedicated privacy agency — but 23andMe has revealed the limits of legislation when the worst happens, with even the state attorney general admitting he struggled to delete his own data from the company. (Katzenberger, 3/27)

The Oaklandside: She’s On A Mission To Disrupt Oakland Gun Violence With ‘Holistic Healing’
When people talk about violence and its impact on Oakland residents, the focus is usually on shootings, assaults, and other crimes one person commits against another. But Briana Manning says it’s important to conceptualize violence in broader terms. “Homelessness, food insecurity, lack of mental health services, and communities not being invested in for generations — these are all forms of violence systematically,” she said. (Romero, 3/27)

Los Angeles Times: Palisades And Eaton Firefighters Had Elevated Levels Of Mercury, Lead In Their Blood
The immediate risks faced by the firefighters who were on the front lines battling the Palisades and Eaton fires that tore through Los Angeles County may have abated, but long-term health concerns remain. A team of researchers tested the blood of a group of 20 firefighters who were called to duty when the wildfires hit Los Angeles County communities, and found that they had levels of lead and mercury in their blood that was significantly higher than what health experts consider to be safe — and also higher than firefighters exposed to a forest fire. (Hernandez, 3/27)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: In A Win For Firefighters, California Opts Not To Further Restrict Promising Treatment
A yearlong battle between California’s Board of Pharmacy and firefighters intent on preserving their access to a treatment that could help save their lives took a decisive turn Wednesday. (Murphy, 3/27)

Capitol Weekly: A New Push For More Full-Time Firefighters
After suffering a disappointing veto last year, supporters of an effort to transition 3000 seasonal firefighters into an all-year-position are back, hoping that this year will be different. ... Senate Bill SB 581 ... would ensure that all Cal Fire engines, helitack bases, and vegetation management crews would be fully operational 365 days per year, along with phasing out seasonal firefighters in lieu of a full staff all year-round. (Appleby, 3/27)

Bay Area News Group: San Jose Is Latest City To Institute First Responder Fee For Medical Calls
San Jose city officials have signed off on a first responder fee program, joining 23 other cities across the state as it looks to generate millions of dollars for its fire department in response to the growing number of medical calls in the community. Through the new $427 fee that will go into effect Jan. 1, the department has estimated it could generate nearly $4 million per year, primarily through billing either medical insurance or car insurance providers, in the event of a vehicle crash. (Patel, 3/27)

Times of San Diego: State Attorney General Joins Lawsuit Protecting EPA Chemical Safety Rule
California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined 16 other states in a lawsuit Thursday to defend federal regulatory requirements for chemical accidents after the safety guidelines were challenged by Republican-led states. The petition supports the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chemical Accident Safety Rule, which was adopted in 2024 and requires facilities, such as refineries and chemical manufacturing plants, to implement prevention plans and employee safety training and increase public transparency. (Caspers, 3/27)

Bay Area News Group: One Bay Area County is Particularly At Risk As Measles Outbreaks Grow In U.S.
In the years leading up to 2020, notable progress had been made on childhood vaccination rates in California. But during the pandemic that progress was reversed, and the recovery since then has been slow. (Rowan, 3/28)

CIDRAP: WHO Alert On US Measles Outbreak Adds New Genetic Details 
The WHO said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 128 measles genetic sequences. Texas submitted 92 identical sequences that belong to the D8 genotype. Ten identical sequences have been reported from New Mexico, and one sequence matching the Texas outbreak virus has been reported from Kansas. Five distinct B3 genotype sequences have been reported from eight other states. "The source of this outbreak is unknown. Currently, there is no evidence of decreased vaccine effectiveness or changes in the virus that would result in increased severity," the WHO said. (Schnirring, 3/27)

MedPage Today: Clinicians Should Be On The Lookout For Murine Typhus, CDC Says
A flea-borne disease that was once largely eradicated from the U.S. may be making a resurgence, CDC researchers said during a clinician-focused call on Thursday. Murine typhusopens in a new tab or window became so rare after public health efforts against it in the 1940s that it eventually stopped being a nationally notifiable disease. But now, cases are on the rise in two states that actively monitor the disease -- Texas and California -- and the illness may be going undiagnosed, experts said. (Fiore, 3/27)

San Francisco Chronicle: How Are Federal Cuts Going To Impact Your Health Care? As A Doctor, I'm Not Going To Sugarcoat It
With the announcement of cancellations of over $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University — and the prospect of similar action against other universities, including UC Berkeley, Stanford and UCSF — is it time for me and other health care providers to be more explicit about how federal funds have made possible the care my patients receive? (Gerald Hsu, 3/24)

East Bay Times: San Jose Needs Compassion And Accountability For Homeless
As business owners on Lincoln Avenue, we have witnessed firsthand the challenges that the homelessness crisis poses — not only to our community but to the very fabric of San Jose itself.  Each day, we see the struggles of our unhoused neighbors, and we feel the impact on our businesses, our customers and our community’s spirit. (Michael Van Every, Steve Wymer and William B. Baron, 3/25)

Capitol Weekly: Trans Girls Sports: Exclusion Is A Solution To A Non-Problem
Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed support for excluding trans girls from girls’ sports. This is a tempting position because it would seem “fair” to keep boys out of girls’ sports and “unfair” to let them play. This seductive idea appeals to emotions. But the premise is wrong. Trans girls are not “boys” competing against girls in girls’ sports. (Abby Ross, 3/25)

Times of San Diego: Why Is Hospital Food So Awful? Here's A Way To Make Meals Curative.
Why does the medical world — brilliant at curing our ills, repairing and replacing our failing body parts and keeping us alive when we should be dead — fail miserably when it comes to the most essential step in getting well? I speak of the food it serves hospital patients. Hospitals are where we spend the most critical days of our lives. Where we go for repair. But getting fixed goes far beyond what happens in the operating room. (Christopher Cook, 3/26)