California is suing a San Diego hospital after it said it would limit gender-affirming care for young patients. But some parents of transgender children and LGBTQ advocates say the state still isn’t doing enough to protect the transgender community amid a federal administration that continues to target them.
As CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang explains, Rady Children’s Health in San Diego — the state’s largest children’s health provider — plans to close its Center for Gender Affirming Care on Friday. The move comes as President Donald Trump pushes to restrict federal funding to hospitals that provide transgender health care to minors. In a statement, the hospital confirmed it was under federal investigation and said that “the environment around gender-affirming care has changed dramatically.”
In response, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit last week to stop the closure. While many in the LGBTQ community are welcoming the action, some are perplexed that the state is suing the hospital under a provision governing business transactions, and not for civil rights violations.
- Kanan Durham, executive director of Pride at the Pier, an LGBTQ advocacy group in Orange County: “We have anti-discrimination laws on the books. We have legal protection of gender-affirming care on the books. But if Rob Bonta does not feel confident in his ability to win a case on the basis of those laws do we really have those laws?”
Meanwhile, parents of transgender kids and supporters are publicly demonstrating their disapproval: More than 600 people protested outside of Rady last month, and another 100 protested at the system’s affiliate hospital of Orange County.
- Dannie Ceseña, director of the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network: “We need to stop with the letters. We need to stop with the announcements. We need to see action. Our kids are suffering.”
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Other Stories You Should Know
Newsom on EV cars, border security
In response to Trump’s environmental and immigration policies, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently laid out his plans to boost electric vehicle sales in California and weighed in on securing the state’s southern border:
- EV rebate plan: After the Trump administration last year canceled tax credits that would have incentivized electric car sales, Newsom unveiled plans revisiting the state’s own EV incentive programs in his January budget proposal. The $200 million endeavor would entail a rebate program that would be offered at the point of sale, rather than as a reimbursement, and auto makers would be required to match funds. Eligibility would be based on a car’s price, not the buyer’s income. Read more from CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.
- Border security: The governor held a presser in San Diego Monday touting California’s public safety efforts near the border. Since 2021 National Guard troops have seized over half a billion dollars worth of fentanyl at the state’s ports of entry, Newsom said, adding that “this is what the National Guard should be doing.” Read more from CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.
Should some High-Speed Rail records remain private?
Transparency advocates and Republican legislators are railing against a bill that would allow the auditor of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority to keep certain records away from the public eye, writes CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yu.
The bill from Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat and chairperson of the Assembly’s transportation committee, would allow the High-Speed Rail Authority’s inspector general to withhold records they believe could harm the state. The measure would also keep internal communications confidential if the people involved submit a request.
Wilson said the High-Speed Rail Authority often does not pass on sensitive records to the inspector general out of fear that the oversight agency would have to release the records. The proposal, Wilson argues, would protect the inspector general so they could “take the full deep dive without hindrance.”
But given the ballooning price tags and missed deadlines of the massive transit project, critics say more transparency is needed.
- Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo, a Visalia Republican: “Every ounce of this project should be available for public consumption and should be presented factually and in entirety to the entire legislative body.”
And lastly: Hint: It’s a distant second
In the second half of 2025, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton raked in over $4 million in donations for his campaign — a fundraising cycle that exceeded several Democratic hopefuls, including Bay Area U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter. But Hilton still came in second in terms of campaign cash, with another candidate pouring more of their own money into the race. Find out who from CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Labor union leaders are warning Newsom that their support for his likely bid for president hinges on protecting jobs from artificial intelligence — a good reminder that fear is a powerful motivator in political campaigns.
Teachers aren’t all to blame for students’ low standardized test scores in California — deep poverty, a substantial English learner population and other factors should also be considered, writes Jill Stegman, retired educator from the Central Coast.
Other things worth your time:
Trump wants to ‘nationalize the voting,’ seeking to grab states’ power // The Washington Post
Schiff, Padilla vow to block all Fed nominees until Trump backs off trying to prod them // The Sacramento Bee
New bill aims to make CA’s FAIR Plan cover all insurance risks, not just fire // San Francisco Chronicle
CA doctor sent abortion pills to TX woman. Under a new law, her boyfriend is suing // Los Angeles Times
CA police are far more likely to use force against homeless residents, new data shows // San Francisco Chronicle
‘Illegal activities’ contributed to Esparto fireworks blast that killed 7 // The Mercury News
Right-wing influencers have descended on Somali day care centers in San Diego // San Francisco Chronicle