California Weekly Roundup: States Update Guardianship Laws

Plus: Swalwell's resignation rattles governor's race; dialysis clinics; abortion fund program; Gossamer Bio layoffs; conversion therapy; measles; adapted P.E. class; "Ketamine Queen" is sentenced; and more ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

Not a subscriber? Sign Up Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Visit KFF Health News for the latest California headlines California Weekly Roundup THIS WEEK'S FEATURE States Change Custody Laws To Keep Children of Detained Immigrants Out of Foster Care (OONA ZENDA / KFF HEALTH NEWS) By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez   As immigration authorities carry out what President Donald Trump has promised will be the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, several states are passing laws to keep children out of foster care when their detained parents have no family or friends available to take temporary custody of them.   The federal government doesn’t track how many children have entered foster care because of immigration enforcement actions, leaving it unclear how often it happens.   As of mid-February, nearly 70,000 people were being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The record 73,000 people in detention in January represented an 84% increase compared with one year before. According to reporting from ProPublica, parents of 11,000 children who are U.S. citizens were detained from the beginning of Trump’s term through August.   The news outlet NOTUS reported in February that at least 32 children of detained or deported parents had been placed in foster care in seven states. Sandy Santana, executive director of Children’s Rights, a legal advocacy organization, said he thinks the actual number is much higher.   “That, to us, seems really, really low,” he said.   California passed a law last year to protect families separated by immigration enforcement actions. The law, called the Family Preparedness Plan Act, allows parents to nominate guardians and share custodial rights, instead of having them suspended, while they’re detained. They regain their full parental rights if they are released and are able to reunite with their children.   Read the full story. Follow us online for more KFF Health News coverage: Top Health Headlines From Around California Governor's Race NBC Bay Area: Swalwell Resigns From Congress, Drops Out Of California Governor Race After Sexual Assault Allegations  A day after dropping out of the California governor's race, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Monday he is resigning from Congress. The decisions come after a former aide accused him of sexually assaulting her.   San Francisco Chronicle: New Accuser Alleges Eric Swalwell Drugged And Raped Her A Southern California woman said Tuesday that Rep. Eric Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018, joining several other women who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. (Bauman and Bollag, 4/14)   CalMatters: Swalwell Exit Scrambles California Governor's Race Because he dropped out after a statutory deadline to formally withdraw from an election, his name will still appear on the June 2 primary election ballot. (Kuang, 4/13)   AP: Voting For California Governor Begins In A Month. Here Are The Candidates In The Running Democrats, who have run the state for years, are publicly agonizing over the possibility they may be shut out of the general election in November. (Nguyen, 4/13)   The Washington Post: How Eric Swalwell Rose To The Top Of Democratic Politics As Rumors Followed Him  The stunning fall has people asking how someone could have risen so high and so fast in a party that says it supports women’s rights. (Goodwin, 4/15)   The New York Times: Gallego Dismissed Rumors Of A ‘Flirty’ Swalwell, Highlighting A Culture Of Silence  Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, acknowledged on Tuesday that he had long heard rumors that Swalwell was “flirty” with women, but he never said or did anything about it. (Gold, 4/14)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Gov. Gavin Newsom Calls Special Election To Fill Eric Swalwell’s Seat  The election will be held Aug. 18, with a primary taking place on June 16. The Aug. 18 election will only happen if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. (Hase, 4/14) Health Industry CalMatters: California Law Targeting Dialysis Clinics Ruled Unconstitutional A federal appellate court struck down parts of a California law that capped the reimbursement dialysis clinics get for some patients. (Ibarra, 4/15)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Patients Seek Answers As Technical Problems Persist At Palomar Medical Group  Patients say they have faced canceled appointments and difficulties with medical record access associated with a third-party medical records system. (Sisson, 4/8)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: More ICE Detainees Are Being Taken To San Diego County Hospitals, Data Show Local hospitals are treating significantly more ICE detainees under the Trump administration, federal data show. (Sisson and Taketa, 4/13)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Chula Vista Council To Vote On SDSU Nursing Program Lease At Millenia Library This comes after years of negotiations and a high-profile falling out over a separate film production program. (Armstrong, 4/13)   AP: Former UCLA Gynecologist Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse Charges The plea by James Heaps was unexpected. (Ding, 4/14)   Palo Alto Daily Post: Stanford Medical Professor Who Was Wrongfully Arrested Wins $58 Million Verdict  A Georgia jury has awarded $58 million to a retired Stanford medical school professor who accused a biotech firm of conspiring to have him wrongfully arrested to pressure him in a contract dispute. (4/13) Health Care Funding San Francisco Examiner: State Abortion Fund Program Runs Out Of Money This Year  A program that covers the cost for low-income patients seeking reproductive health care in California will run out of money without an amendment in this year’s state budget. (Gurevich, 4/14)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Newsom Plan Seeks To End State Funding For Mobile Crisis Teams. Here's What That Would Mean For One Vulnerable North Bay County The proposed shift would open a $130 million statewide funding gap many counties can't fill. (Espinoza, 4/11)   Whittier Daily News: LA County Supervisors Digest New Budget, Brace For Future Federal Healthcare Cuts To Land  The county’s Department of Health Services stands to lose about $662.2 million in federal dollars next year. (Scauzillo, 4/14)   CalMatters: California Billionaire Tax Divides Liberal Democrats The health care union behind the tax measure argues its plan is the only viable fix for federal funding cuts to Medi-Cal. (Miller, 4/9) Pharma and Tech The San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Biotech Lays Off Half Its Workers After Failing Key Drug Trial  Gossamer Bio is picking up the pieces after failing to bring its only late-stage drug to market. (Harff, 4/13)   FiercePharma: Pfizer Closes Down 'Underutilized' Office Space In California The site used to host the headquarters for its 2022-acquired Global Blood Therapeutics. (Becker, 4/8)   San Francisco Examiner: SF Health Tech Companies Create Pathogen Detection System  The air-based system senses certain pathogens or allergens in the air and activates a purification and filtration response. It's set to debut at a San Francisco school this fall as part of a multi-year study. (Gurevich, 4/13)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Salk Scientist To Lead $41 Million Effort To Control Cells With Sound  A local researcher will work with wide range of institutions to use ultrasound-based methods that could treat many diseases. (Sisson, 4/13) LGBTQ+ Health CalMatters: Can Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Protect LGBTQ Youth From Conversion Therapy? This California Lawmaker Thinks So Medical malpractice lawsuits may be one way to stop therapists from using conversion therapy on LGBTQ youth. (Hwang, 4/13) Housing Crisis Los Angeles Times: In L.A. County, Many Homeless People Enter Shelters, Only To End Up Back On The Streets More than half the people who exit interim housing in Los Angeles County leave for the streets or unknown locations. (Khouri, 4/14)   San Francisco Chronicle: Mayor Lurie Says He's Trading S.F. Shelter Beds For Sites With More Services. Critics Aren't Convinced The 280-bed shelter at 711 Post St. will close in March 2027. It was protested when it opened in 2022. (Hodgman and Waxmann, 4/12) Public Health (ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES) San Francisco Chronicle: California Hasn't Seen Measles Numbers Like This In Years — And Cases Are Still Rising A Sacramento-area measles outbreak is fueling the state’s highest case count in years, just months into 2026. (Ho, 4/14)   San Francisco Examiner: San Francisco Sees Significant Drops In STI Cases Last Year  The number of syphilis cases dropped by 24%, chlamydia cases by 18%, and gonorrhea cases by 5% in 2025 compared with the previous year. (Gurevich, 4/14)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Unsafe Bacteria Levels Detected In Water At 3 Oceanside Sites Elevated bacteria levels detected by routine testing have placed the waterfront areas around the Oceanside Municipal Pier, Buccaneer Beach, and the Buena Vista Lagoon outlet on San Diego County’s beach advisory list. (Diehl, 4/14)   The Orange County Register: Park Inequality In Southern California Creates Health Risks, Especially During The Heat A new study from researchers at UC Irvine and Chapman University shows that not all parks are created equal. (Mouchard, 4/12) Disabilities The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Students Search For Next 'Lifeline' After Napa Valley College Cancels P.E. Class For Those With Disabilities In February, the college decided to discontinue its adaptive physical education program, which provides a range of accessible fitness activities with specially designed machines. (Mehta, 4/10)   Imperial Valley Press: New Program Plants Hope For Entrepreneurs With Disabilities In Imperial Valley “I’m hopeful with this class that it will teach me new skills to get my business ... back on track,” said participant Mary Hernandez, who owns The Wood Shed and was diagnosed with ALS a couple of years ago. (Bojorquez, 4/15) Substance Abuse and Mental Health The New York Times: ‘Ketamine Queen’ Sentenced To 15 Years In Matthew Perry’s Overdose Death A Los Angeles woman who illegally sold the ketamine that killed the actor Matthew Perry was sentenced to 15 years in prison. (Morgan and Stevens, 4/8)   People: Britney Spears Voluntarily Checks Into Treatment Facility 5 Weeks After DUI Arrest Britney Spears, 44, has entered a treatment facility following her DUI arrest last month. (Nelson, Avila and Phillipp, 4/12)   KQED: Suspect Was In Apparent Mental Health Crisis During Attack On Sam Altman’s House  The man accused of firebombing Sam Altman’s home was experiencing a mental health crisis when he attacked the OpenAI CEO’s residence and company headquarters last week, his attorneys said Tuesday. (DeBenedetti, 4/14)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Napa's $24 Million Behavioral Health Treatment Center To Be Ready Late 2026 Construction on Napa County’s long-awaited behavioral health treatment center is set to finish in late 2026 at the county’s former reentry facility. (Booth, 4/14)   Los Angeles Times: San Pedro Neighbors Fight Plans To Build Addiction Recovery Center The dispute underscores the potential for conflicts as non-profit groups seek to expand services to people in addiction recovery, the homeless and others. (McDonald, 4/13)   The Orange County Register: Prosecutors Seek Reforms To California’s ‘Broken’ Mental Health Diversion Program District attorneys throughout the state are pushing for legislative changes that would tighten up requirements under which a judge can grant diversion. (Saavedra, 4/12) This Week's 'KFF Health News Minute' Rising health costs have some middle-aged adults skipping the doctor until Medicare will pick up the tab. Plus, there’s little evidence that immigrants without legal status are using Medicaid, despite White House claims. Listen to Zach Dyer ▶️ KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.   (c) 2026 KFF. All rights reserved.   KFF 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA, 94107, United States Opt out of all KFF emails | Manage subscriptions KFF, 185 Berry Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States Unsubscribe Manage preferences