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.”

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...

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...

Los Angeles Times – Complaints over insurers’ handling of L.A. wildfire claims prompt a flurry of bills

By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES Since the January 2025 firestorms damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 homes in Los Angeles County, fire victims have...

Los Angeles Daily News – LA wildfire rebuilding effort draws billions in aid, grants

By Pat Maio, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS https://www.dailynews.com/2026/01/08/l-a-wildfire-rebuilding-effort-draws-billions-in-aid-grants/ Billions of dollars have flowed into the Los Angeles area since the January 2025 wildfires exploded across the region. The precise figure is...

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