SACRAMENTO, Calif. - There's a high probability that radio-frequency radiation from cellphones causes certain rare but often malignant brain tumors in humans, according to a former director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Christopher Portier submitted his findings as part of a lawsuit by patients and families against multiple cellphone manufacturers and carriers.

Ellie Marks' husband, Alan, just had a second surgery to remove tumors caused, according to experts they consulted, by cell-phone use. She joined the lawsuit and founded the nonprofit California Brain Tumor Association to get the word out.

"The industry is working with the FCC to hide the truth, and we're tired of it, and people need to be aware of the truth," said Ellie Marks, executive director of the association. "There is enough science now to say that cellphones are indeed causing lethal brain tumors."

The cellphone manufacturers maintain their products are safe and comply with all regulations.

Monique Solomon, another plaintiff, said her late husband, Andy, fought cancer for five years, passing at age 42. He suffered from a tumor she said she believes was caused by the phone he used while driving around, selling commercial real estate.

"And he had the Motorola big battery pack to his ear probably 8 to 10 hours a day, for years," she said. "His scar went above his ear and was like a horseshoe, down right around the back of his ear exactly where he held his cell phone."

RF radiation expert Dr. Devra Davis, author of the book "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation" and president of the Environmental Health Trust, noted that tests the government uses to evaluate cellphone safety are 25 years old.

"We test our phones with a dummy with a spacer against its head. So, we don't even put the phone next to the head, we don't put the phone next to the body when it's tested," she said. "And as a consequence, the tests are rigged. They don't reflect real exposure."

A study done by the National Toxicology Program found that RF radiation causes brain and heart tumors in rats. Davis said she fears a surge in cases in humans over the next few decades.

"Brain cancer is now the leading cancer in children. It has increased dramatically in young adults," she said. "Older people have not been using phones as long. And brain cancer has a latency of 40 years."

Davis said she advises people to avoid putting a cellphone up to their head or carrying it on their body, and to turn it off or put it on "airplane mode" at night.

About 1.3 million Missourians are currently enrolled in Medicaid and nonprofits around the state have warned proposed federal cuts would be devastating.

In Missouri, children are the largest group served by Medicaid, with 61% enrolled. States could face more than $800 billion in Medicaid cuts and more than $200 billion in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps.

McClain Bryant Macklin, vice president of policy and impact for the Kansas City nonprofit Health Forward Foundation, emphasized how important Medicaid is to the organization.

"From a policy perspective as well as where we tend to lend our funding support is squarely in that direction, and Medicaid access has been our primary policy issue, really since our inception," Bryant Macklin explained. "It's just our number one priority."

Supporters of the cuts argued Medicaid is inefficient because of waste and fraud, and restructuring or reducing funding could improve sustainability.

Bryant Macklin noted the Health Forward Foundation played a key role in advocating for Medicaid expansion in Missouri, contributing to policy changes which extended coverage to thousands of low-income residents. She stressed as a Medicaid expansion state, Missouri will need to find funding from other critical sources, which could result in further challenges.

"State legislators are going to be forced to -- and administrators forced to -- find those dollars elsewhere," Bryant Macklin pointed out. "That elsewhere will be from other key social services that folks are relying upon and that the state has grown accustomed to receiving that federal support."

Those in favor of the cuts said they would give states greater control over Medicaid through block grants, which are fixed amounts of federal funding states can use with more flexibility, to tailor programs to local needs and priorities.

Indiana is losing millions in public health funding as the federal government cuts grants for state and local programs.

In Marion County, officials confirmed the immediate loss of a $450,000 immunization grant, leaving employees searching for ways to continue vaccination efforts amid ongoing disease outbreaks.

Dr. Virginia Caine, director and chief medical officer for the Marion County Health Department, highlighted the cuts during a town hall hosted by Rep. André Carson, D-Ind.

"We are now seeing that they've cut all state and local health departments budgets," Caine explained. "We have to be very concerned about our ability to protect the public."

Caine noted the federal government eliminated $13.1 billion in funding for state and local health departments, part of a broader rollback of pandemic-era grants. Indiana Department of Health legislative director Rachel Swartwood recently commented the state's goal is to ensure no direct services to Hoosiers are interrupted.

State health officials estimate Indiana will lose about $40 million because of the cuts. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced plans to eliminate 10,000 full-time jobs. The totality of the cuts is very concerning for Caine.

"When we had this fentanyl epidemic with overdoes -- we have the bird flu taking place across this country -- we have to be concerned," Caine emphasized. "Do we have the workforce to come out and meet these demands?"

Marion County officials are evaluating how to fill the funding gap. Caine added the department has 300 positions supported by grants and expressed concern job losses and service reductions could follow if no alternative funding emerges.


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Oregon does not have enough health care workers and the need continues to grow.

Service Employees International Union Local 49 members said retention is a key cause of the shortage and they are lobbying for two bills in Salem to improve job quality across the industry. Over the next 10 years, health care and social services will need to bring in nearly 225,000 workers, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

Matt Swanson, political strategist for SEIU Local 49, said meeting the growing demand will take every possible intervention.

"I heard from many workers about how tired they are," Swanson reported. "How difficult it is to provide quality patient care when there just aren't enough people working."

One bill at the top of the union's priority list would address unchecked workplace violence, which health care workers experience at a higher rate than any other industry. Another would expand funding to allow providers to continue to work while going to school for advanced training.

Felipa Nesta, a licensed practical nurse at Kaiser Permanente, is using existing funding to get a nursing degree while working. She said Senate Bill 27 would help meet the growing demand for health care providers by increasing funding for such programs as well as providing wage replacement, child care, and transportation.

"It would help so more people can get into health care jobs without being buried in debt," Nesta emphasized.

Rachel Dennis, a certified nursing assistant at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center, said Senate Bill 537 mandates de-escalation training as well as systems to notify providers of potentially violent patients. It also guarantees counseling and paycheck protection for injured employees. She noted nearly all her coworkers have faced verbal or physical assault on the job.

"I'm tired of seeing my coworkers leave because they're scared to go to work," Dennis stressed.

Both bills have had public hearings and are scheduled for work sessions in Salem.