Kennedy’s Vaccine Advisers Sow Doubts as Scientists Protest US Pivot on Shots
By Arthur Allen and Sam Whitehead
A new vaccine advisory panel appointed by the Health and Human Services secretary, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, reflected his unsupported claims about the safety of childhood inoculations.
California Immigrants Weigh Health Coverage Against Deportation Risk
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
Immigrants without legal status who live in the state are facing a Medi-Cal enrollment freeze next year. But the spate of immigration raids has raised fears that signing up before the deadline will put them on the radar of federal officials.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen — Governors and an HHS Secretary Sound Off
In this special episode taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, three former governors — one of whom also served as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — discuss how state and federal officials can work together to improve Americans’ health. Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, former Kansas governor and HHS secretary under President Barack Obama; Republican Chris Sununu, former New Hampshire governor; and Democrat Roy Cooper, former North Carolina governor, join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner.
Daily Edition for Thursday, June 26, 2025
UCSF Health To Lay Off About 200 Workers: UCSF Health will eliminate approximately 200 positions across its network, officials said Wednesday, citing “serious financial challenges” and the need to safeguard long-term patient care. The layoffs represent about 1% of the organization’s workforce and span part-time and full-time roles. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
En algunas playas federales hay olas para surfear, pero los salvavidas brillan por su ausencia
By Stephanie Armour
Justo en los días en que multitudes de turistas visitan los parques nacionales para disfrutar del verano, algunas playas del National Park Service están reduciendo los horarios en que hay guardia de salvavidas
At Some Federal Beaches, Surf’s Up but the Lifeguard Chair’s Empty
By Stephanie Armour
Some of the nation’s most well-known beaches are managed by the National Park Service, which saw about 1,000 employees laid off in February by the quasi-agency Department of Government Efficiency, then led by Elon Musk. The void has become a serious public health and safety concern.
Dual Threats From Trump and GOP Imperil Nursing Homes and Their Foreign-Born Workers
By Jordan Rau
Understaffed nursing homes face a workforce crisis if President Donald Trump and Republicans further curtail immigration and cut Medicaid.
Daily Edition for Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Stanford Medicine Halts Gender-Affirming Surgeries For Those Younger Than 19: Stanford Medicine has stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 — becoming the second major health care provider in California to scale back transgender care for youths amid efforts by the Trump administration to restrict access to the specialized care. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle, Bay Area News Group, and Los Angeles Times.
What RFK Jr. Isn’t Talking About: How To Make Vaccines Safer
By Arthur Allen
Vaccines are under fire from the top of the Trump administration. Federal programs to monitor them and make them safer have always been underfunded.
5 Takeaways From Health Insurers’ New Pledge To Improve Prior Authorization
By Lauren Sausser and Phil Galewitz
Dozens of health insurance companies pledged on Monday to improve prior authorization, a process often used to deny care. The announcement comes months after the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, whose death in December sparked widespread criticism about insurance denials.
