"Too often, California makes the best transportation projects fight the hardest for approval. AB 1976 starts to change that by modernizing outdated rules, limiting unreasonable process hurdles, and creating a clearer path to safer, more people-oriented streets," said Marc T. Vukcevich, Director of State Policy, Streets For All.
House Bill 518 focuses on curbing problem gambling and placing new limits on certain wagers. It directs the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to take a more hands-on role, stating that 'the Commission shall adopt regulations that are intended to reduce or mitigate the effects of problem gambling.'
The Uber-backed plan to lower car insurance rates has drawn criticism from legal professionals and crash victim advocates who say the legislative changes would strip crash victims of rights while misstating the drivers of high costs. Hochul and the car insurance industry have argued that fraud and "jackpot" payouts have increased costs for insurance companies so much that they can't reduce premiums.
In light of the systemic dismantling of America's public health agencies, these moves essentially create a shadow infrastructure to maintain some of what is being lost. While this is a promising development, it does nothing to stop a troubling trend that has been emerging for some time: The country is quickly becoming fragmented along partisan lines when it comes to public health.
OCR continues to execute its enforcement mission under its statutory and regulatory authorities regarding civil rights, exercise of conscience, and health information privacy and security, and breach notification. OCR continues to investigate complaints filed, to conduct compliance reviews, and to review breaches of unsecured protected health information. OCR will be responsive to the HIPAA trends and compliance issues within OCR's jurisdiction that are affecting the public and the regulated industry.
Doctors told us my grandson wouldn't live past three months, but they didn't know Elijah was capable of. Today he's 7 years old, stubborn as ever and fighting every day to prove them wrong. Elijah was born with cerebral palsy. Caring for him is a full-time, all-hands-on-deck operation that includes in-home nurses, physical and occupational therapy, school support and a small pharmacy's worth of medications.
The 340B program allows hospitals to buy outpatient drugs at steep discounts, with the purported purpose of helping them fund care for low-income and uninsured patients. The now-axed rebate model would have invited drugmakers to participate voluntarily in a rebate-based discount system. Basically, instead of the provider receiving a discount upfront at purchase, the 340B discount would be applied after purchase via rebate - and subject to tedious data submission requirements.
"Today I'm forced to stand here and beg because an insurance company decided that profits matter more than the life of a man who spent his career protecting this city," said Jones's daughter Rachel Jones at the hearing. He ran into burning buildings, inhaled toxic smoke, and put his life on the line again and again, so that others could survive, Rachel Jones continued. Now, when he needs the help the most, the insurance company provided by this city through Blue Shield is denying him the medication his doctors say is necessary to keep him alive.
Medical inflation runs on its own clock, and the coverage decisions you make at 65 determine whether a serious illness costs you a manageable sum or a devastating one. Healthcare is the single most unpredictable variable in retirement planning because it combines three separate uncertainties: how fast costs will rise, how much care you will need, and which coverage structure you choose.
In 2026, the US healthcare system is changing. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies have expired, causing premiums for marketplace plans to spike - and pricing some families out of health insurance entirely. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reduce coverage for some patients with Medicaid and funding for hospitals, especially those in rural areas. Costs for Medicare and private insurance are also rising: Employer-based healthcare premiums have increased by 9%, the largest rise in more than a decade.
