Consumer Watchdog

KXTV-SAC (ABC) – Sacramento, CA: Fair Plan Fee Lawsuit Scaled Down

Mercury News – Elias: California energy bill could be Legislature’s worst this year

Pending law from Silicon Valley’s Becker would strip state of control over its electricity sources By Thomas Elias, MERCURY NEWS There is…

Los Angeles Times – Wildfire victims’ in limbo as fight with insurers hits another snag

By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-07-18/jan-7-fires-claims-complaints-mediation After receiving more than 1,000 complaints from Jan. 7 fire victims about how insurers are handling…

E&E News – California leapfrogs Florida in US insurance risk

By THOMAS FRANK, E&E NEWS POLITICO https://www.eenews.net/articles/california-leapfrogs-florida-in-us-insurance-risk California appears to have supplanted Florida as the state with the weakest property insurance market, with…

KTVU (Fox): State Farm pushes to keep rate hike documents secret

By Tom Vacar, KTVU https://www.ktvu.com/news/secret-insurance-rate-setting-documents-should-not-be-secret SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The huge but conditional homeowner insurance rate increases (opens in new tab) granted to State Farm last month…

The Mercury News – Elias: Bay Area’s Garamendi saying insurance czar ‘should go’ unheard of

In criticizing Lara, a Democratic party stalwart advising another to quit his job is unprecedented By Thomas Elias, MERCURY NEWS Think back:…

CNN – This family lost their home in the Texas floods. Like most victims of storm, they didn’t have flood insurance

By Chris Isidore, CNN https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/10/business/texas-flooding-victims-lack-flood-insurance (CNN) – Crissy and Avi Eliashar bought their home in Jonestown, Texas, 13 years ago. They never…

The Orange County Register – COLUMN: Medical Board says AB 408 is about patient protection. Bull, consumer groups respond.

By Teri Sforza, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER COLUMN: Medical Board says AB 408 is about patient protection. Bull, consumer groups respond. If…

Politico – Democrats retreat on climate: ‘It’s one of the more disappointing turnabouts’

By Jeremy B. White and Camille von Kaenel, POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/07/democrats-climate-retreat-california-energy-00439882 SACRAMENTO, California – Donald Trump is coming for California’s signature climate policies…

Politico – Prop 103, Round Two?

By Will McCarthy and CAMILLE VON KAENEL, POLITICO https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-climate/2025/07/07/californias-great-climate-retreat-00441867 Wildfires are heating up the property insurance fight — and it’s boiling over…

Politico – Democrats retreat on climate: ‘It’s one of the more disappointing turnabouts’

By  JEREMY B. WHITE and  CAMILLE VON KAENEL, POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/07/democrats-climate-retreat-california-energy-00439882 SACRAMENTO, California — Donald Trump is coming for California’s signature climate policies — and so…

KBAK (CBS) – Bakersfield, CA: Doctor Accountability

San Diego Union-Tribune – California Energy Commission calls for shelving plans to fine oil companies

By Rob Nikolewski, THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE In the wake of plans by two refineries to close down, the California Energy Commission…

Reuters – California should raise fuel imports, pause margin cap, regulator says

By Shariq Khan, REUTERS https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/california-should-support-fuel-imports-find-ways-retain-refiners-regulator-says-2025-06-27 NEW YORK, June 27 (Reuters) – California’s energy regulator on Friday recommended new rules to encourage more…

Politico – Insurance Insult

By Camille Von Kaenel, POLITICO https://www.politico.com/newsletters/california-climate/2025/06/30/how-enviros-lost-ceqa-00434609 INSURANCE INSULT: Former Insurance Commissioner and current Rep. John Garamendi had some words for Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s handling of…

New York Times – ‘Unsafe to Inhabit’:?The Toxic Homes of L.A.

By Blacki Migliozzi, Rukmini Callimachi and K.K. Rebecca Lai, NEW YORK TIMES https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/24/realestate/los-angeles-fires-toxic-homes.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare At first, the families whose homes were left standing thought they were the…

Los Angeles Times – State regulators launch inquiry into State Farm’s handling of fire claims

By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-06-12/state-regulators-launch-inquiry-into-state-farms-handling-of-fire-claims-la-widlfires State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced Thursday that his department is launching a formal inquiry into…

ABC 7: Silicon Valley democrat pushes controversial energy bill, refuses questions about $100K+ advisor gig

By Stephanie Sierra, ABC7 https://abc7news.com/post/senate-bill-540-ca-state-senator-josh-becker-refuses-answer-questions-energy-donations-100k-advisor-gig/16718061 SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — As California faces worsening climate disasters, Silicon Valley Democrats are pushing a bill that…