public health

Commentary

‘Give me another solution.’ Counties resist mental health centers, betraying patients and families

Monterey County recently halted development of a mental health center, leaving struggling patients and families in a lurch.

By

George B. Sánchez-Tello

• March 31, 2026

A Fresno resident uses an umbrella to shield herself from the sun as they walk through Tower District in Fresno on Aug. 30, 2022. Temperatures hit 104 degrees as a heatwave begins to hit the San Joaquin Valley. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Environment

California is spending hundreds of millions on heat. Will it ever be a public health priority?

As heat becomes a year-round reality, California is often still responding like it’s an emergency.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

and

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

• March 19, 2026

Small bottles of a product labeled “feel free,” advertised for mood lift, energy, and focus, are displayed for sale inside a convenience store. A sign indicates the product costs $8.99 and must be purchased by customers age 21 or older.

Education

Once given out at USC, this banned, opioid-like product is still cropping up in California

A drinkable product called Feel Free was once marketed to USC students as a wellness tonic. It contains an addictive, opioid-like ingredient called kratom leaf, now banned for sale by the California Department of Public Health but still available in many stores. A new bill in the Legislature would make the ban permanent in California.

By

Phoebe Huss

• March 17, 2026

A group of officials and staff walk down a roadway beside a high chain-link fence topped with razor wire outside a large facility, with parked cars and low hills in the background under bright afternoon sun.

Justice

San Diego County sues ICE after it blocked health inspection at detention center

San Diego County is suing the Trump administration for illegally blocking officials from inspecting ICE detention centers. There have been ‘alarming reports’ about unsafe conditions inside the centers.

By

Wendy Fry

• March 10, 2026

Dr. Mathew Beare examines a patient's foot at a meeting area near the Kern River on March 16, 2023. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Health

Trump’s Medicaid work mandate could kick thousands of homeless Californians off coverage

A majority of California’s roughly 180,000 people experiencing homelessness have health insurance through Medi-Cal. Providers predict that many will lose insurance under President Donald Trump’s upcoming work mandates even if they qualify for exemptions.

By

Kristen Hwang

• March 5, 2026

A lab worker, wearing a clear face mask and blue scrubs, stands in front of a medical machine.

Health

Pockets of unvaccinated communities are driving measles outbreaks in California

California is battling measles across seven counties as federal funding cuts gut local health departments and vaccine skepticism fuels spread among unvaccinated children.

By

Kristen Hwang

• March 2, 2026

The back of a person as they unlock one of several refrigerators that houses immunizations. Various sheets with information hang on the refigerators.

Health

California sues as Trump cuts $600M in public health grants to four states

The grants targeted help fund public health workforce and disease monitoring. Ending these grants could result in layoffs and worse health outcomes, according to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Rob Bonta.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• February 12, 2026

A person stands on a cinderblock wall at dusk, pouring water downward as smoke or ash drifts through the air. Palm trees, rooftops, and silhouetted foliage are visible behind them, all bathed in an orange haze from the smoky sky.

Environment

L.A. wildfires: With no clear cleanup standards, how to test for toxic soil

Ash rained down and smoke blanketed Los Angeles during the 2025 wildfires, leaving behind a toxic legacy in soil and homes. Without a federal or California mandate, nonprofit, academic and local groups offer testing for homeowners.

By

CalMatters Staff

• January 8, 2026

Mist drifts through a wide valley surrounded by dark, rugged mountain cliffs, with a tall, rounded granite peak rising in the distance under a hazy sky.

Commentary

Protecting California’s public lands from oil and gas drilling is defending public health

Federal plans for oil drilling along a million acres in California would change healthful, wild spaces into sources of pollution and illness.

By Ashley McClure, M.D. • December 23, 2025

A person jogs down a residential street lined with blooming jacaranda trees. Purple flowers cover the branches and the ground. The runner wears a dark tank top and patterned leggings, moving forward with a focused expression. Parked cars line both sides of the street under the bright, filtered sunlight.

Commentary

In a ‘sober active’ community, I can outrun my addiction

Addiction recovery starts when California creates spaces to replace isolation with belonging, where people can gain the confidence to change their lives..

By Raelynn Franklin • December 5, 2025