California is projected to see a budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year, according to a non-partisan analysis. UC Davis Health is using an innovative process to connect kidney donors with recipients to save hundreds of lives. 

California's projected budget shortfall

California is no stranger to economic booms and busts. But 2022 may be a prime example of how quickly and drastically the state's fiscal outlook can change. Earlier this year, a historic project budget surplus of nearly $100 billion allowed Governor Newsom and the Democratic-led legislature to expand government programs and financial assistance. But a report released by the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office has forecasted the state could be faced with a nearly $25 billion "budget problem," an estimate they say is the weakest revenue performance California has seen since the 2008 Great Recession. This report is only a projection, but how did the state's fiscal outlook change so drastically in just one calendar year? Does it mean a recession is on the horizon? To help us unpack all of this, Insight invited H.D. Palmer, who heads the California Department of Finance, to explain the program.

UC Davis' health kidney transplant process

This fall, the U.S. hit a major milestone of one million organ transplants which began nearly 70 years ago in 1954. And UC Davis Health is celebrated as one of the top facilities, crossing 5,000 kidney transplants since conducting the first one more than three decades ago. The success at UC Davis Health is due to creative solutions and outreach to donors. To tell us more about the process of kidney donation and transplants, Insight spoke with Dr. Eric Huang, the medical director of the UC Davis Health Kidney Transplant Program. Transplant recipient Wilson Du also joined us to share their experience living with renal failure and waiting for a lifesaving kidney. 

Sac State Hornet football season

The Sacramento State Hornets Football team finished their regular season undefeated, "11-0" after defeating crosstown rivals at UC Davis in the Causeway Classic. The Big Sky Champions are now looking ahead to the Football Championship Subdivision, where they are ranked second in the FCS playoffs. Sac State has never won an FCS Championship, but fans believe the Hornets have become unstoppable this year. The Hornet's play-by-play announcer Jason Ross joined Insight to talk about the team and how the program became a football juggernaut.