Latest Morning Briefing Stories

Students With Addictions Immersed In The Sober Life At ‘Recovery’ High Schools

At one Seattle public school, students earn their diplomas while attending daily support groups and meeting with counselors to help them stay off drugs and alcohol. There are about 40 similar schools around the country, both public and private, and more are on the drawing board.

Newsom Diverges Sharply From Washington With Health Care Budget

California Gov. Gavin Newsom made health care a priority in his proposed state budget, asking lawmakers to authorize state-funded financial aid for health insurance, impose a penalty on uninsured Californians and expand Medicaid coverage to unauthorized immigrants.

In California, Doctors Accused Of Sexual Misconduct Often Get Second Chances

The state medical board grants probation in more than a third of cases, a California Healthline analysis found. Even as other institutions adapt to lessons of the #MeToo movement, the board plans no major changes, saying it has always prioritized discipline for sexual misconduct.

With Hospitalization Losing Favor, Judges Order Outpatient Mental Health Treatment

Nearly every state in the country allows courts to force people with severe mental illnesses into treatment against their will. But critics argue these controversial intervention programs fail to address underlying problems in behavioral health services. In California, only one-third of counties have such programs, but they account for nearly two-thirds of the state’s population.