Consumer Watchdog

Justin Kloczko writes about tech, energy and insurance for Consumer Watchdog. He’s covered privacy issues extensively, including data collection, privacy rights and legislation, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and surveillance pricing.
 
He’s a recovering daily newspaper reporter with experience covering local government, education, and the criminal justice system at the Hartford Advocate, Middletown Press, and  Manchester Journal Inquirer. His work has appeared in Vice, Daily Beast, The New Republic, KCRW and Los Angeles Magazine.
 
While covering civil litigation at the Los Angeles Daily Journal he won LA Press Club awards for his stories detailing corruption at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. The stories led to the criminal prosecutions of multiple city officials. Justin also authored The Debaser, an independent newsletter about LA culture and politics that garnered him an appearance on the ABC/Hulu documentary about disgraced plaintiff’s attorney Tom Girardi called “The Housewife and the Hustler.”

Bakersfield.com – State medical board tells Bakersfield OB/GYN to stop practicing medicine

By Jon Cox, BAKERSFIELD.COM https://www.bakersfield.com/news/state-medical-board-tells-bakersfield-ob-gyn-to-stop-practicing-medicine/article_2a71b96d-937a-4b54-8900-f76524206ff8.html A Bakersfield obstetrician-gynecologist has been ordered to stop practicing medicine, at least temporarily, after he failed a competency exam following accusations...

Orange County Register – California insurance chief keeps ‘chin up’ ahead of FAIR Plan, policy reforms

Instead of heeding calls to resign, Ricardo Lara is working on FAIR Plan reform and holding insurers accountable in fire-prone zones. By PAT MAIO, ORANGE COUNTY...

Los Angeles Times – Wildfire victims decry state law protecting utilities from cost of disasters they cause

By Melody Petersen, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-01-16/wildfire-victims-decry-state-law-protecting-utilities-from-cost-of-disasters-they-cause A year after the Eaton fire, survivors and the state’s electric utilities are clashing over whether state law should continue...

Los Angles Times – Uber is trying to snow voters with a supposedly pro-consumer ballot initiative. Don’t buy it

By Michael Hiltzik, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-01-16/uber-tries-to-snow-voters-with-supposedly-pro-consumer-ballot-initiative Uber loves to define itself as a most public-spirited company.  “We’re reimagining how the world moves ... to help make transportation...

The Press Democrats – How corporate leaders and donors shaped Newsom’s biggest policy pivots

By Ethan Varian, THE PRESS DEMOCRATS https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/01/14/newsom-scheduling-calendar-2025/ On June 23, Gov. Gavin Newsom had a scheduled call with Mark Lashier, the chief executive of Phillips 66...

San Francisco Chronicle – California bills would tackle wildfire underinsurance and underpayment in wake of Chronicle investigation

By Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/underinsurance-legislation-21280891.php A year after fires razed entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles, California lawmakers unveiled a slate of proposed legislation aimed at...

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