In The News

Sacramento Bee – California’s Medical Board Can’t Pay Its Bills, but Doctors Resist Proposed Fixes

By Annie Sciacca, SACRAMENTO BEE https://www.sacbee.com/news/article278656929.html California doctors and state lawmakers are squaring off once again over the future of the Medical Board of California, which is responsible for licensing and disciplining doctors and has been criticized by patient advocates...

CalMatters – Victims of medical negligence in California should be included in investigations

By Annette Ramirez, CALMATTERS https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/08/medical-negligence-victims-california-investigations/ Eleven years ago I went into the hospital for a hysterectomy and was expecting to go home the next day. Instead, I fought to survive in the hospital for two years after my doctor’s mistakes and...

Los Angeles Times – Farmers Insurance Lays Off 2,400 Workers as Insurers Pull Back from California

By Sam Dean, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-08-28/farmers-insurance-lays-off-2-400-workers Farmers Insurance, one of the nation's largest property and casualty insurers, is laying off 2,400 workers, representing 11% of its total workforce. The Los Angeles-based company cited a need to reduce operational costs...

Daily News – Court filing says officials used app to delete texts

By Jason Henry, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS https://www.dailynews.com/2023/08/28/el-monte-officials-used-disappearing-message-app-to-coach-cannabis-applicant/ El Monte’s city manager and then-mayor used an application that automatically deleted text messages, potentially in violation of state law, to coach an applicant attempting to secure a retail cannabis license from...

KERO-BFL (23ABC) – Bakersfield, CA: Maternal Mortality Addressed By Medical Board

Consumer Watchdog Advocate Michele Monserratt-Ramos and volunteers share their experiences with the Medical Board to enact change regarding maternal mortality.

Mercury News – Opinion: California Medical Board reform would save patient lives

When the state receives a complaint, medical professionals are asked for their side of the story, but victims are not By Maria Ibarra Navarrette, MERCURY NEWS https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/08/25/opinion-california-medical-board-reform-would-save-patient-lives/ My little brother Jose was always at the center of my life — despite...

KERO-BFL (23ABC) – Bakersfield, CA: Pregnancy Care Mistreatment

Patient Advocate Michele Monserratt-Ramos discusses the details of friday's medical board meeting that will focus solely on maternal mortality issues in the central valley starting at 9:00am at the doubletree hotel in Bakersfield.

KCBS-AM (Radio) – San Francisco, CA: Insurance Companies Are Fleeing California Scared Off by the Cost of Insuring Wildfire

By Staff Reporters, KCBS – San Francisco, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

KNBC-LA (NBC) – Los Angeles, CA: Car Insurance Rates Soaring

Harvey Rosenfield discusses how insurance companies have a profit motive constantly to raise rates, to limit the amount of claims they pay, and to seek higher rates before the insurance commissioner.

Digital Insurance – Consumer advocates question insurers’ use of wildfire risk models

By Michael Shashoua, DIGITAL INSURANCE https://www.dig-in.com/news/consumer-advocates-question-insurers-wildfire-risk-models#:~:text=But%20consumer%20advocates%20say%20regulators,and%20more%20availability%20or%20affordability. The models and technology that carriers use to evaluate risk have become part of the regulatory debate following severalwithdrawals from the California insurance market attributed to wildfires. Carriers have been lobbying the California Department of...

San Francisco Chronicle – Safeway was caught overcharging. How to find out if your grocery store is doing the same

By Kellie Hwang, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/grocery-stores-overcharging-18303789.php# Grocery stores and other retailers across the Bay Area have recently been caught overcharging customers, according to county inspectors — a problem that experts say happens far more than most people realize. In early...

The Orange County Register – Government failure in the California property insurance market

By Gary Galles, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER https://www.ocregister.com/2023/08/17/government-failure-in-the-california-property-insurance-market/ California has recently been described as, “a state riven by billion-dollar wildfires, mudslides, and the ever-present threat of a catastrophic earthquake.” For instance, the 2017 and 2018 fires in the state reportedly...

KQED-FM (Radio) – San Francisco, CA: Christopher Cadelago From Politico Discusses The Government Transparency Act

By Staff Reporters, KQED – San Francisco, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

Repairer Driven News – Waymo & Cruise approved for San Francisco 24-hour operation of robotaxis

By lurch Lowery, REPAIRER DRIVEN NEWS https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2023/08/16/waymo-cruise-approved-for-san-francisco-24-hour-operation-of-robotaxis/ Following millions of miles driven on public roads and billions in driving courses and simulations, rival robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise have been given approval to operate in San Francisco at all hours. Amid safety concerns,...

The Orange County Register – From dueling ballot measures to a new czar, the battle over California oil heats up

Oil companies are spending record amounts to push back against policies that could limit profits, restrict new drilling, boost accountability and more. By Brook Staggs, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER https://www.ocregister.com/2023/08/14/from-dueling-ballot-measures-to-a-new-czar-the-battle-over-california-oil-heats-up/ As climate change boosts deadly heat waves, fires and flooding this...

KFBK-AM (Radio) – Sacramento, CA: CPUC Approved Driverless Expansion Despite Heavy Opposition

By Staff Reporters, KFBK – Los Angeles, CA Click below to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.

BBC – Robotaxi expansion gets green light in San Francisco

BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66478070 Two "robotaxi" firms have been given the green light to start charging for service throughout San Francisco. The move marks a major expansion for the companies, which previously faced limits on when or where they could charge for...

San Diego Union-Tribune – Opinion: California needs stronger open-government laws — and for officials to follow existing laws

Requiring a more transparent Legislature and making agencies keep public records longer are good ideas. But will officials actually change their ways? By The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-u-t-editorial-board-staff.html Consumer Watchdog — the crusading organization that for decades has sought to...

Fox KTVU – Calls mount for California to hit brakes on driverless vehicles

By Freddy Brewster, FOX KTVU https://www.ktvu.com/news/calls-mount-for-california-to-hit-brakes-on-driverless-vehicles SAN FRANCISCO - The California Public Utilities Commission is set to decide the fate of driverless vehicles and the future of taxi riding in San Francisco at its next meeting on Thursday Consumer advocacy groups are urging the...

Law 360 – HIV Patients Can Amend Disability Bias Suit Against CVS

By Emmy Freedman, LAW 360 https://www.law360.com/articles/1705299/hiv-patients-can-amend-disability-bias-suit-against-cvs Law360 (July 28, 2023, 9:00 PM EDT) -- Patients can revise their claims that CVS Pharmacy Inc.violated the Affordable Care Act by forcing people with HIV and AIDS to get medications by mail, a...

Latest Releases

Latest Report

Support Consumer Watchdog

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, press releases and special reports.