#SanJoaquinValley stands to face "devastating" #health fallout from "#BigBeautifulBill cuts to #Medicaid, two CA state assembly members predict. theintersectionreports.org/big-beautifu...

This is Alzheimer's Awareness Month, which prompted me to take a look at the disease which is a leading cause of death in the San Joaquin Valley -- where Latinos have a lower mortality rate from Alzheimer's than whites. Read more about it here. theintersectionreports.org/valley-latin...

Happy to share this podcast interview I did with @KVPR's Central Valley Daily podcast discussing my story on obesity rate disparities in the San Joaquin Valley's Latino population. open.spotify.com/episode/3i2E...

#Nurses at 3 California #hospitals - in #Modesto, #Turlock and #Manteca - plan a one-day strike on Oct. 30 to draw attention to stalled contract negotiations over wages, working conditions. theintersectionreports.org/nurses-at-th...

#Healthcare costs, access are a major concern for #California voters ahead of 2026 #election for governor, according to a new poll. For Central Valley Journalism Collaborative theintersectionreports.org/new-poll-sho...

#Obesity rates in #California and the #SanJoaquinValley are significantly higher among #Latinos than the overall population - a possible harbinger of broader #health concerns. For the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative: theintersectionreports.org/latinos-in-t...

I just wrapped up a live segment on @capradio's "Insight" show in Sacramento to discuss the pending expiration of expanded tax credits under the #AffordableCareAct that help people who buy health insurance through #CoveredCalifornia. It will available online this afternoon at www.capradio.org/1183.

For Central Valley Journalism Collaborative: More than 291,000 #SanJoaquinValley residents already have no health insurance. Expiration of #AffordableCareAct expanded tax credits could raise that number even higher by making coverage more expensive. theintersectionreports.org/expiration-o...

#WestNileVirus, carried by mosquitoes and transmitted through their bites to people, has killed three people in the #SanJoaquinValley so far in 2025. My report for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative (Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control) theintersectionreports.org/west-nile-vi...

#Nursing residencies extend training, support and boost retention for new #hospital nurses in the #SanJoaquinValley and nationwide. One of my latest for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative: theintersectionreports.org/hospital-res...

A double-dose of NPR radio appearances on Tuesday 9/16 to discuss my story on the #SanJoaquinValley's relative shortage of hospital labor/ delivery/ maternity care: www.kvpr.org/podcast/cent... and www.capradio.org/media/122791...

#Madera's #hospital reopened this year after 2 years closed, but without resuming labor & delivery. Is it contributing to a #maternity care "desert" for would-be mothers? My latest for Central Valley Journalism Collaborative theintersectionreports.org/hospital-cut...

We, the staff of @CVJCguild, are forming a union! A strong local news ecosystem needs strong workers. We’re asking our leadership to formally recognize us so we can shape the future of local media together. ▶️Read our mission statement ▶️ Sign our petition ▶️ Following @CVCJGuild here and on IG

More than 1 in 5 #SanJoaquinValley residents rely on #SNAP/#CalFresh benefits for help with grocery costs. President Trump's #BigBeautifulBill slices $287 billion in SNAP spending by 2034. How will it affect Valley families? themercedfocus.org/22-of-valley...

Another day, another story for the Central Valley #Journalism Collaborative: Three #SanJoaquinValley hospitals make their way onto the @usnews list of best regional #hospitals. theintersectionreports.org/three-valley...

#California is making cuts to Medi-Cal that will affect the #SanJoaquinValley's #undocumented immigrants, adding to a climate of fear stoked by federal raids and deportation threats. My latest for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative: theintersectionreports.org/benefit-cuts...

All the hubbub over the #BigBeautifulBill prompted us at the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative to wonder how #Medicaid cuts may impact health clinics and hamper care for low-income people around the #SanJoaquinValley. Here's what we learned theintersectionreports.org/valley-healt...

My recent story for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative on suicide rates in the #SanJoaquinValley was the subject for an interview airing today on Valley Public Radio @kvprnews.bsky.social for its Central Valley Daily podcast. You can give it a listen at www.kvpr.org/podcast/cent...

Over the last seven years, the #suicide rate in the #SanJoaquinValley has been significantly higher than the CA statewide rate, federal mortality data shows. From 2018 through 2024, almost 3,300 Valley residents took their own lives. Story at: theintersectionreports.org/suicide-is-a...

The #SanJoaquinValley has an abundance of retailers licensed for off-sale beer, wine and spirits. But how many is too many? What are the health consequences? See the story for an interactive map of census tracts and the number of alcohol retailers in each. theintersectionreports.org/alcohol-lice...

The dangers from #COVID19 have diminished, but not disappeared; the virus continues to claim lives in the #SanJoaquinValley. My latest for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative theintersectionreports.org/covid-19-dan...

Pleased to share this KVPR Valley Public Radio podcast, posted today, in which host Elizabeth Arakelian and I discuss my recent reporting on the region’s shortage of geriatric specialists to care for the elderly. You can give it a listen here: www.kvpr.org/podcast/cent...

My latest for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative: As the San Joaquin Valley's Baby Boomers age, more senior citizens and elderly create higher demand for geriatric doctors, more reliance on Medicare, Medicaid. theintersectionreports.org/senior-popul...

#Domesticviolence calls to law enforcement in #Fresno County soared between 2019 and 2023. That pushed the #SanJoaquinValley to the highest regional rate in the state in 2023. But there are too few resources to fully meet victims’ needs. theintersectionreports.org/fresno-count...

ICYMI: Central Valley Journalism Collaborative's Marijke Rowland and I joined Sacramento's CapRadio #Insight host Vicki Gonzalez on the air Wednesday to discuss potential #SanJoaquinValley fallout for #Medicaid patients, health clinics & the uninsured. Listen here: www.capradio.org/media/122774...

My Central Valley Journalism Collaborative colleague Marijke Rowland and I will be live on Sacramento's CapRadio Insight radio show this afternoon to discuss upheaval, uncertainty in #SanJoaquinValley #healthcare amid potential cuts to #Medicaid. Noon at www.capradio.org/news/insight...

There’s a critical shortage of doctors in some rural parts of the U.S., including the #SanJoaquinValley. A bill proposed by two Valley congressmen could make a difference - eventually. themercedfocus.org/costa-gray-p...

More than 308,000 people in #California’s #SanJoaqinValley region are without any form of #health #insurance, limiting their opportunities for #medical care. Many have no coverage despite having jobs. theintersectionreports.org/uninsured-in...

Nonprofit #health clinics across California’s #SanJoaquinValley confront uncertainty over their federal funding amid budget debates and presidential orders on immigration. theintersectionreports.org/valleys-safe...

ICYMI: Here’s a link to today’s “Insight” show on Sacramento’s CapRadio public radio, in which I talked with host Vicki Gonzalez about the closure, fallout and reopening of Madera Community Hospital. www.capradio.org/news/insight...

It took a while – more than two years – but #Madera Community #Hospital finally regained its state license and reopened to patients on Tuesday morning. Read it here with NO PAYWALL! theintersectionreports.org/after-a-two-...

My latest: The closure of #Madera Community #Hospital in January 2023 created ripples that affected hospitals in neighboring #Fresno and #Merced counties. Its reopening is expected to ease strain on access to care in the region. theintersectionreports.org/its-been-clo...

Millions of #chickens, other #poultry have been killed in #SanJoaquinValley flocks infected with #BirdFlu; people, dairy cattle are also catching it. My first story for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative in The Merced FOCUS updates the local situation: themercedfocus.org/avian-flu-ca...

I was honored and humbled to be recognized this morning by Mayor Jerry Dyer (left), Council President Mike Karbassi (right) and the Fresno City Council for my 27-year career at The Fresno Bee. Now on to new duties reporting on health issues for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.

Another of my swan songs for @fresnobee.com: About 37,000 new homes (#houses, #apartments) are needed to meet residential demand in the city of #Fresno, CA by 2031. The city must have ample land w/ proper zoning, but it'll be up to builders to actually build them. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

One of my two final stories for @fresnobee.com: Could billions of dollars in unspent federal grants for CA #highspeedrail be at risk from the Trump administration? www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

Allow me to share some career news: After more than 25 years at The FresnoBee, I will be joining the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative as its first Health Care Reporting Fellow. cvlocaljournalism.org/tim-sheehan-...

In 2019, the first #Trump administration canceled a $929 federal million grant for #California’s #highspeedrail project and threatened to claw back another $2.5 billion. With Trump’s return to the presidency, is 2025 a make-or-break year for the rail project? www.fresnobee.com/news/local/h...

See which #Fresno #restaurants, #food places didn't pass muster in December #health inspections by the #FresnoCounty health department. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

Pleased to have been a guest on @kvprnews.bsky.social's Central Valley Daily podcast today (Wed 1/8) to discuss the status of #highspeedrail in #California and the central #SanJoaquinValley. Listening links at www.kvpr.org/podcast/cent...

The last time anyone tried to take a comprehensive count of the homeless population in #Fresno and #Madera counties was two years ago. Now the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care is seeking volunteers for its 2025 Point in Time homeless count. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

Almost 15 months after Fresno County auctioned off its old University Medical Center property in southeast Fresno, the sale of the former hospital is poised to be finalized this month. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

#Construction of a new #railyard between #Wasco and #Shafter in #KernCounty will set the stage for the eventual construction of #tracks and other operating systems for #California’s planned #highspeedrail project. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/h...

Fresno CA Housing costs (rent, mortgage) have risen much faster than household incomes since 2021, making it less affordable for families to keep a roof over their heads. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

The disgraced co-founders of #Fresno-based #BitwiseIndustries face years of prison time following their #convictions on federal fraud charges. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

#Fresno's new no-camping law, with arrests/fines for those #homeless people who disobey orders to move along, took effect in September. But with a shortage of emergency shelter beds, where are they to go? www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

A divided #Fresno City Council agreed this week to introduce a law regulating #streetfood #vendors. But changes are likely before the next vote on Dec. 5. Food-cart vendors believe the rules will bring them hardship. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

A federal #bankruptcy judge approves a $20 million settlement for approx. 900 former #BitwiseIndustries workers in #Fresno and nationwide who lost their jobs in May 2023. It covers claims for labor-law violations and unpaid wages. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...

Joining the migration from the every-declining utility of Twitter: #Fresno folks can now find The Fresno Bee here on Bluesky at @fresnobee.bsky.social.

Do you really want to know why? Do you? OK, then, read on about the food-safety #violations that temporarily closed 10 #Fresno County #restaurants following #health inspections. www.fresnobee.com/news/local/a...