In The News
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 protecting wildfire survivors from insurance industry practices that can stall rebuilding and recovery —...
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 repeatedly complained that insurers have delayed, denied or underpaid many of their claims, with...
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 difficult to quantify, but the money has come from nonprofits, federal agencies and local...
Daily Journal – Tens of millions raised as Uber, trial lawyers gird for 2026 ballot initiatives
By Malcom Maclachlan, DAILY JOURNAL
CAOC-backed committees report massive fundraising totals as title and summary approvals allow competing ballot measures to move toward signature gathering.
Plaintiffs' attorneys and rideshare companies are barreling toward a titanic ballot initiative battle.
As the new...
Politico – Consumer group sues oil companies for gas price hike linked to California regulation
The class action lawsuit argues that five gasoline producers preemptively raised prices before changes to the low-carbon fuel standard kicked in.
By Alex Nieves, POLITICO
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025/12/consumer-attorneys-sue-oil-companies-for-gas-price-hike-linked-to-california-regulation-00707815?site=pro&prod=alert&prodname=alertmail&linktype=article&source=email
California consumer attorneys have filed a class-action lawsuit against five major oil companies, claiming that...
Davis Enterprise: Lara here to make insurers’ wishes come true
By Tom Elias, DAVIS ENTERPRISE
https://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/tom-elias-lara-here-to-make-insurers-wishes-come-true/article_ace33bc7-f7c2-4b7a-a6fa-e3805c5f3df9.html
As he prepares for his last year in office, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is going all out to make it easier for insurance companies to fulfill their wishes, doing their bidding as he...
KNX-AM (Radio): We Pay Some Of The Highest Electric Bills In The Country Here In California, State Regulators Voted To Keep Them Expensive
By Staff Reporters, KNX-AM – Los Angeles, CA:
Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Santa Ynez Valley News – Lara seeks to fulfill insurance company wishes
By Thomas Elias, SANTA YNEZ VAKKEY NEWS
https://syvnews.com/opinion/columnists/lara-seeks-to-fulfill-insurance-company-wishes-thomas-elias/article_457c9351-dd88-5de5-a26f-c74b5de45b46.html
As he prepares for his last year in office, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is going all out to make it easier for insurance companies to fulfill their wishes, doing their bidding...
CAP Radio: More Than 200 Groups Have Signed A Letter To Congress Asking For A National Moratorium On New Data Centers
By Staff Reporters, Capitol Public Radio:
Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
The Coast News Group – Elias: Lara does insurance companies’ bidding
By Tom Elias, THE COAST NEWS GROUP
https://thecoastnews.com/elias-lara-does-insurance-companies-bidding
As he prepares for his last year in office, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is going all out to make it easier for insurance companies to fulfill their wishes, doing their...
Los Angeles Times – The L.A. wildfires exposed a broken insurance market. Why wasn’t it fixed?
By Paige St. John, LOS ANGELES TIMES
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-12-04/californias-insurance-crisis-ricardo-lara-la-wildfires-why-wasnt-it-fixed
California’s property insurance market was unraveling fast in mid-2023 when the state’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, landed in Bermuda for four days of elbow-rubbing with industry figures.
The state’s largest carriers were dumping...
Los Angeles Times – International travel. Fancy meals. Missing receipts. Who paid the tab for this top official?
By Paige St John, LOS ANGELES TIMES
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-12-04/california-insurance-regulators-travels-who-paid-for-ricardo-laras-trips
Ricardo Lara’s transition from influence-brokering state legislator to autonomous insurance regulator was rocky.
Almost immediately upon assuming office in 2019, the California insurance commissioner was discovered soliciting money from those he regulated, even allowing...
San Francisco Chronicle – State Farm faces second government investigation into Los Angeles wildfire response
By Megan Fan Munce and Susie Neilson, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/state-farm-investigation-los-angeles-21171274.php
After months of consumer complaints and lawsuits over its response to the Los Angeles-area wildfires, State Farm General is now being investigated by the county where the fires took...
Los Angeles Times – Foul-mouthed, brash and savvy: What to know about ex-Newsom aide tangled in a corruption probe
By Dakota Smith and Katie King, LOS ANGELES TIMES
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-14/dana-williamson-newsom-aide-profile-federal-indictment
The FBI was secretly listening last year when a high-ranking advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom unleashed a stream of profanities as she vented about a public records request from an unnamed individual.
“Double f—...
KFI AM (Radio): La County Says It’s Investigating State Farm Over Insurance Claims Related To January’s Wildfires
By Staff Reporters, KFI-AM – Los Angeles, CA:
Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Pasadena Now – LA County Opens Investigation into State Farm’s Handling of Wildfire Claims
By City News Service
https://pasadenanow.com/main/la-county-opens-investigation-into-state-farms-handling-of-wildfire-claims
Los Angeles County attorneys Thursday launched an investigation into State Farm over their handling of insurance claims filed by policyholders affected by January’s wildfires following growing complaints from residents about delays, underpayments and denials of legitimate claims.
The...
Los Angeles Times – L.A. County opens probe into State Farm’s handling of January wildfire claims
By Laurence Darmiento, LOS ANGELES TIMES
Los Angeles County announced Thursday it is opening an investigation into how State Farm General has treated January wildfire victims after complaints that their claims have been delayed, denied and underpaid.
The state’s largest...
Mercury News – California insurers to charge homeowners for FAIR Plan bailout after LA wildfires
By Ethan Varian, MERCURY NEWS
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/13/california-insurance-fair-plan-los-angeles-fires/
Homeowners across California will soon see a new charge on their monthly insurance bills to help pay claims arising from this year’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
Most of the temporary fees imposed by the...
Marketplace – Will U.S. consumers be able to get any of their tariff money back?
By Janet Nguyen, MARKETPLACE
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/11/13/will-us-consumers-be-able-to-get-any-of-their-tariff-money-back
President Donald Trump’s new tariff policies, which include tax rates of 10% to 50% on imports around the world, have raised about $120 billion so far this year.
Tariffs are taxes that the importer has to pay. That means tariff...
CapRadio: California Fire Insurance Investigation
By Staff Reporters, Cap Radio– Los Angeles, CA:
Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
94.1 KPFA – Bad Food, No Home Insurance
On today’s show, the ultra-processed food industry and Big Ag have joined forces against the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. MAHA movement. We’ll get the story from the co-founder and managing editor of US Right to Know Stacy Malkan. We’ll...
KNX-AM (Radio): Newsom’s Promise Opened The Door For Lara, Allowing For Backroom Deals
By Staff Reporters, KNX-AM – Los Angeles, CA:
Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
CalMatters – ‘We feel alone’: L.A. fire survivors call for California’s insurance commissioner to resign
By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS
https://calmatters.org/economy/2025/11/fire-survivors-lara-resign/
Survivors of the deadly Los Angeles County fires, some of whom have been unable to rebuild because their insurance claims have been delayed or denied, are calling for California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to resign.
Lara,...
ABC10 – LA wildfire survivors call on Gov. Newsom to urge CA Insurance Commissioner to resign
By Becca Habegger, ABC10
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/la-wildfire-survivors-urge-ca-insurance-commissioner-resign/103-010661b1-97b0-4818-8996-884311b1c9e6
ALTADENA, Calif. — Los Angeles wildfire survivors are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to pressure California’s Insurance Commissioner to resign.
They made the announcement at a news conference Thursday morning in Altadena.
Survivors said insurance is collapsing in two ways: tens of thousands...
NBC 4 – ‘No one is coming to help.’ Wildfire survivors demand insurance commissioner’s resignation
By Kathy Vara and Helen Jeong, NBC4
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/ricardo-lara-palsades-eaton-fire-insurance/3802090
As the first anniversary of the Palisades and Eaton fires nears, many families, who said to be still struggling to rebuild because they are navigating insurance hurdles, demanded Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara resign.
The victims said...
FOX26 News – California insurance commissioner responds to calls for his resignation
By Michael Tellez, FOX26 NEWS
https://kmph.com/news/local/california-wildfire-survivors-demand-ricardo-lara-resigns-palisades-new-york-times-policies-insurance-commisioner-loopholes
CALIFORNIA (FOX26) — A new report is raising questions about how California’s wildfire insurance system ended up where it is today.
With hundreds of thousands of homeowners relying on the state’s fair plan as their only option.
The...
KTLA 5 – Fire survivors urge Gov. Newsom to call for Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s resignation following New York Times report
By Iman Palm, Kimberly Cheng, KTLA 5
https://ktla.com/news/california/fire-survivors-urge-gov-newsom-to-call-for-insurance-commissioner-ricardo-laras-resignation-following-new-york-times-report
Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to urge California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to resign following a New York Times investigation into the new insurance regulations aimed at assisting...
Mercury News – California wildfire survivors urge resignation of state insurance commissioner
By Julianna Lozada, MERCURY NEWS
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/la-fire-survivors-urge-resignation-of-state-insurance-commissioner/
Eaton and Palisades fire survivors on Thursday, Nov. 6, are calling for California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to resign after a report revealed what it said were loopholes in a 2023 plan that resulted in more policyholders being dropped...
The Downey Patriot – LA fire survivors urge for resignation of state insurance commissioner
By City News Service, THE DOWNEY PATRIOT
https://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/la-fire-survivors-urge-for-resignation-of-state-insurance-commissioner
Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires Thursday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for the resignation of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara -- a request that comes on the heels of...
Insurance Journal – Wildfire Victims Ask Gov. Newsom to Call for Insurance Commissioner’s Resignation
By Insurance Journal Staff
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2025/11/06/846762.htm
A few of the victims of the Los Angeles wildfires in January are asking California Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for the resignation of California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara over reforms Lara pushed that were...
New York Times – California Fire Victims Urge State to Hold Insurers Accountable
“We thought we could trust the system,” said a homeowner in Altadena whose insurance policy was canceled only months before the January fires destroyed his home.
By Katie Benner, NEW YORK TIMES
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/us/la-fires-insurance-homeowners.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zU8.N6O2.Ti8xGFwmNfpY&smid=em-share
Branislav Kecman was one of roughly 50,000 Californians who...
Latest Releases
Latest Report
Support Consumer Watchdog
Subscribe to our newsletter
To be updated with all the latest news, press releases and special reports.