Brought to you by the
Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition
Health Policy & Advocacy Committee
Health Policy in the U.S.
FeiFei Guo • Editorial/Opinion
The impact of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is broad, but let’s zoom in on its consequences for seniors in our own community.
Sasha Bahdanava • News Story
Menstrual tracking and fertility applications are widely trusted with some of users' most personal details. Recent events reveal these apps may not be as safe as they appear; the issue of data privacy holds significant implications.
Michelle Chen • News Story
Only months into President Trump’s second term, his administration’s sweeping executive actions and passage of the HR-1 budget bill have sharply restricted reproductive freedom and rolled back on LGBTQ+ rights, jeopardizing the safety and health of the nation’s most vulnerable communities. This article explores how California remains committed to safeguarding health care access for both in-state residents and out-of-state individuals.
Abigail Manzano​ • News Story
The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary has raised major concern among public health experts due to his long history of promoting vaccine skepticism. Insiders report that the normal scientific review and consensus process was bypassed, with Kennedy pressuring CDC leadership to approve schedule changes without supporting evidence and discouraging communication with lawmakers.
Zoe Steele • Editorial/Opinion
While theoretical access to medical transportation has improved in recent years, in practice, patients in need continue to fall through the cracks. Let’s examine why our medical transit system remains ineffectual.
Katherine Kim​ • News Story
Cuba’s healthcare system promises universal access, but chronic medication shortages and limited medical resources reveal a gap between seeing a doctor and receiving effective treatment. The long-standing U.S. embargo continues to restrict supplies and scientific exchange, making the true standard of care difficult to assess.
Serene Han • News Story
More than 30 years after Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, heavy metals continue to surface in widely used protein powders. A 2025 Consumer Reports investigation found that several popular brands exceeded safety thresholds for lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The findings highlight a widening gap between the growing demand for supplements and a federal regulatory system that still permits products to reach the market without mandatory testing or premarket approval.
Jessie Lin​ • News Story
On January 20th, Donald J. Trump began his second term as the President of the United States. During his campaign, President Trump remained vague on platforms about public health. Let’s take a look at the first 45 days of public health under the Trump Administration.
Jessie Lin • News Story
During his first year of presidency, President Trump repealed several Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions, such as ACA Enrollment Advertising, which reduced outreach efforts and declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency but not a national emergency, therefore limited funding.
Holly Ur • Criticism
On January 30, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a move that has reignited debates over public health, nutrition, and misinformation. The hearing scrutinized Kennedy’s claims linking processed foods to chronic disease and broader health risks, particularly in relation to COVID-19 and obesity.