California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) positions himself as a national figure for Democrats searching for party leadership following President Donald Trump's return to office. But his administration has just pulled back on the promise of health care for all in its latest budget proposal.

For years, Newsom made expanding California's public health care program toward a single-payer system one of the tentpole issues of his political career. Instead, his spending plan for the coming year would see undocumented migrants paying a hefty monthly premium to participate in the state's Medi-Cal Medicaid program. 

'Significant retreat' on a 'linchpin' issue
Newsom's budget proposal comes as the costs of his health care plan have "exceeded expectations" amid broader anticipation of "challenging economic times ahead," said the Los Angeles Times. Requiring Medi-Cal participants with "unsatisfactory immigration status" to pay a $100 monthly premium would "reduce the financial burden on the state" and could ultimately "lower the total number of people enrolled" in the program.

The proposed changes represent a "significant retreat on an issue" that Newsom has held as a "linchpin" of his broader goal of universal health care coverage in California, Politico said. The backtracking will be a "political gift to conservatives" and is "certain to encounter resistance" from California's Democratic lawmakers and health care advocates alike. "Complicating" Newsom's "political tightrope" is polling that shows programs which provide health care to undocumented migrants have "tepid support," said CBS News.

Rightward tack in recent months
Costs associated with medical coverage for undocumented immigrants have become a "sensitive issue" for California's Democrats given both President Trump's "focus on deportations" and the "electorate's interest in scaling back illegal immigration" as a whole, said The New York Times. While the coverage for undocumented immigrants is "funded by state revenue," the San Francisco Chronicle said, "most of the program is funded through federal Medicaid dollars" now being targeted by congressional Republicans who have "singled out California for scrutiny."

It's in this broader political context that Newsom has begun "embracing policy positions Republicans have begged him to adopt," said California Globe. His attempt at a "reputation facelift" will "likely end up as a facelift gone wrong."

Rikers Island is one of the most infamous jail complexes in the U.S., and it is now under new management: a federal judge has seized control of the facility from New York City and placed it in the care of a third party. This represents an unprecedented chapter for Rikers, which has been plagued by violence and numerous social problems for years. 

What is happening with Rikers?
Manhattan U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain will "appoint a 'remediation manager' to address the deeply entrenched problems at the sprawling jail complex," said Bloomberg. This manager will "report directly to her and not to the city, rejecting a request by New York."

Rikers' "current management structure and staffing are insufficient to turn the tide," Swain said in her ruling. Rikers has already been under federal oversight for nearly a decade due to its problems, but New York City Mayor Eric Adams "claimed that the legal requirement that the jail close in 2027 limited his administration's ability to address them," said ABC News. However, New York City officials have "admitted that timeline is no longer feasible because of delays and cost overruns," said Bloomberg.

How could this improve conditions?
This could mark a turning point for a jail that has been besieged by "worsening violent and dangerous conditions," said Reuters. At least 22 people have reportedly died in custody at Rikers since 2022, and it is subject to chronic overcrowding. The "current rates of use of force, stabbings and slashings, fights, assaults on staff and in-custody deaths remain extraordinarily high," Swain said in her ruling.

As the issues continue, New York City has "held onto its control of Rikers with white knuckles — struggling to show progress and reaching the brink of losing oversight of the jails as critics of the system have called for a receiver," said The New York Times. But some are hoping that the new manager could change this, as it will have broad powers over Rikers. This includes the "authority to revise the jail's rules, hire staff and take disciplinary actions against employees who violate policies on the use of force," said Reuters.