Daily Edition for Tuesday, July 29, 2025
California Sues To Stop USDA From Collecting SNAP Data: California is part of a group of states suing the Trump administration to halt the U.S. Department of Agriculture from collecting sensitive information about people who receive federal food vouchers, known as SNAP. Read more from CalMatters and the Los Angeles Times.
A Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Was Kept Alive in Georgia. It’s Unclear if State Law Required It.
By Jess Mador, WABE
The anti-abortion movement is rallying around new laws that establish fetal “personhood.” Doctors are scrambling to adjust, but even conservatives don’t always agree on how such laws should be applied.
As California’s Behavioral Health Workforce Buckles, Help Is Years Away
By Christine Mai-Duc
California has put a greater focus on behavioral health workers, but a huge spike in demand, an aging workforce, and employee burnout continue to hamper mental health and substance use treatment. The state is tapping Medicaid funds to train, recruit, and retain workers, but it will be a long time before the impacts are evident.
Daily Edition for Monday, July 28, 2025
Santa Cruz Man With Quadriplegia Loses Doctor After Planned Parenthood Closure: Cameron Cox, 31, requires around-the-clock care for his spastic quadriplegia, a severe form of cerebral palsy. When his mom couldn’t find a primary care doctor to take him on as a patient last year, she turned to Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which provided care for some people on Medicaid. A doctor there has had regular visits with him since August. But now the clinic is closed after the GOP-approved budget bill cut its Medicaid reimbursements. Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cosmetic Surgeries Led to Disfiguring Injuries, Patients Allege
By Fred Schulte
Illustration by Oona Zenda
A joint investigation by KFF Health News and NBC News found that cosmetic surgery chains have been the target of scores of medical malpractice and negligence lawsuits, including 12 wrongful death cases.
Daily Edition for Friday, July 25, 2025
Trump’s Homelessness Crackdown Met With Concern: Orange County officials and frontline workers are responding with a mix of concern and selective support to President Donald Trump‘s executive order targeting homelessness, a sweeping directive that leans heavily on law enforcement, civil commitments, and mandatory treatment. The executive order doesn’t name California’s CARE Court, but the measures it lays out raise questions about how the program might be affected. Read more from The Orange County Register and The Washington Post. Scroll down for more news about homelessness.
Trump Voters Wanted Relief From Medical Bills. For Millions, the Bills Are About To Get Bigger.
By Noam N. Levey
Moves by the Trump administration to pare back Medicaid, rescind medical debt rules, and loosen vaccine requirements threaten to increase medical bills for millions of Americans.
Listen: Some Scientists Speak Out on Deep Cuts to National Cancer Institute, While Others Flee
By Rachana Pradhan
The U.S. has made enormous progress reducing cancer mortality since the 1990s, partly due to significant investment in research at the National Cancer Institute. But scientists say the Trump administration has been hollowing out the agency in its push to dramatically shrink the federal government.
Fearing Medicaid Coverage Loss, Some Parents Rush To Vaccinate Their Kids
By Jackie Fortiér
Worried parents are hurrying to get their children vaccinated, fearing future federal policy changes will limit access to free immunizations. Pediatricians worry that any changes to the childhood vaccine schedule will leave families without affordable options for essential shots.
California Looked to Them To Close Health Disparities, Then It Backpedaled
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
A statewide initiative to formalize the role of community health workers and expand their ranks was meant to improve the health of underserved communities, particularly Hispanic populations, who often experience higher rates of chronic illnesses. But years in, California has abandoned a certification program and rescinded public support.
