KABC 790AM LA: CA Recycling Revamp Bill Dies in Legislature
By Frank Mottek, KABC 790AM LA
September 9, 2021
Frank chats with Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court on why California's latest attempt to revamp it's broken bottle and can recycling system failed due to lobbying from the industry. Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Auto Insurers Scored Windfall Profits From Pandemic Lockdowns
By Staff Reporters, REPAIR DRIVEN NEWS
September 6, 2021
https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2021/09/06/auto-insurers-scored-wind…
Consumer groups analyzing insurers’ underwriting performance from 2020 have concluded that auto insurers reaped billions of dollars in excess profits due to reduced accidents during the lockdowns, and say consumers are still owed billions in additional refunds.
U.S. Launches Broad Investigation Into Tesla Autopilot Over Numerous Crashes
By Alan Ohnsman, FORBES
August 16, 2021
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2021/08/16/us-launches-broad-i…
U.S. regulators have opened up the biggest review of Tesla’s Autopilot since the driving-assistance feature was introduced, centered around a string of collisions with emergency vehicles that resulted in numerous injuries and at least one fatality.
Sleek, New Credit Apps Target A Young Generation Already Drowning In Debt
By Sasha Hupka, LOS ANGELES TIMES
August 11, 2021
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-11/sleek-new-credit-apps…
WASHINGTON — Alana Voechting, a 27-year-old nursing student, had never heard of Klarna when she noticed its bright pink logo while checking out at Sephora.com with $165 in skincare products.
Wildfires Threaten California Communities On New Financial Front
By Saul Elbein, THE HILL
August 4, 2021
https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/566360-wildfires-…
Years of destructive wildfires are leaving millions of Californians at risk of losing their homeowner's insurance — underscoring fears that climate change could soon make parts of the country uninhabitable for financial reasons.
Some California Homeowners In Fire-Prone Areas Face Steep Insurance Increase
By Adam Raskin, KGTV ABC TV-10 San Diego, CA
July 30 2021
https://www.10news.com/news/in-depth/some-california-homeowners-in-fire…
San Diego (KGTV) — Throughout the state, homeowners are preparing for what could be another long wildfire season.
Oil Well Permit Approvals Dropped Dramatically This Year, Group Says
By Andrew Sheeler, CAPITOL ALERT - SACRAMENTO BEE
July 27, 2021
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25…
Advocacy group Consumer Watchdog reports that permit approvals for new or reworked oil wells dropped by 64% in the first six months of 2021, while the number of permit applications from oil and gas companies fell by 52%.
PG&E Will Bury Some Power Lines
By J. D. Morris, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
July 22, 2021
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/PG-E-says-it-will-bury-10-0…
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said Wednesday that it wants to bury 10,000 miles of its power lines in the coming years, hoping that such a far-reaching and expensive effort will finally turn the company's disastrous track record around.
California's Largest Utility Aims To Bury 10K Miles Of Power Lines to Prevent Fires
By Kyle Barnett, UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
July 22, 2021
The largest utility in California is planning to bury 10,000 miles of power lines in an effort to prevent fires in the drought-stricken state.
Pacific Gas & Electric said the move is intended to "further harden its system" to prevent accidental outbreaks of wildfires. Several fires in California have been attributed to PG&E equipment over the years.
PG&E’s Plan To Bury Thousands Of Miles Of Lines For Fire Prevention Could Exceed $15 Billion
By Sonseeahary Tonsall, Eric Rucker, Ian McDonald, KXTL FOX TV-40, Sacramento, CA
July 21, 2021
https://fox40.com/news/wildfire-watch/pge-announces-plan-to-bury-thousa…
CHICO, Calif. (KTXL) — Pacific Gas and Electric announced on Wednesday that it plans to bury 10,000 miles of lines in parts of the state with higher fire danger.
Medical Malpractice Firm Kicks In $5M To Fight California MICRA Initiative
By Victoria Colliver, POLITICO PRO
July 19, 2021
A medical malpractice company based in Napa dropped $5 million into the fight against a November 2022 ballot measure to increase California’s medical malpractice compensation cap.
Will DaVita’s Indictment Alter Its Big Political Spending In California?
By Barbara Feder Ostrov, CALMATTERS
July 19 2021
https://calmatters.org/health/2021/07/dialysis-california-davita/
Federal conspiracy charges against dialysis giant DaVita and its former CEO have cast one of Sacramento’s biggest political spenders in an unflattering light.
Bar To Review Special Master's Report On LA Water Bill Attorneys
By Blaise Scemama, THE DAILY JOURNAL
July 16, 2021
The report released this week named prominent attorneys it said had "violated the ethical rules against dishonesty, deceit, and collusion and violated their ethical duties to ... the court in violation of Rules of Professional Conduct."
Striking USC Nurses Demand More Staff and Training, Cite ‘Profound Patient Safety Issues’
By Carly Olson, LOS ANGELES TIMES
July 14, 2021
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-07-14/usc-keck-norris-cance…
Nurses at two USC hospitals that handle some of the country’s most challenging medical cases are protesting working conditions they say put both medical staff and hospital-goers at risk, the latest in a series of strikes by nurses nationwide that have spotlighted hospital safety.
California Under Flex Alert, But An Energy Watchdog Says It Doesn't Have To Be This Way
Consumer Watchdog says California needs to build its own infrastructure and not rely on outside power companies
By Kurt Rivera, KXTV ABC TV-10 Sacramento, CA
July 12, 2021
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/flex-alert-watchdog…
In Big First, California’s Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency Denies All 21 Aera Energy Fracking Permit Applications
By Dan Bacher, RED GREEN & BLUE
July 10, 2021
http://redgreenandblue.org/2021/07/10/big-first-californias-oil-gas-reg…
“This is the first permit denial of this scale for reasons related to public health and climate,” according to a statement from the Food and Water Watch.
Supreme Court to Hear HIV Case Involving CVS Pharmacy Program
By Trenton Straube, POZ
July 7, 2021
https://www.poz.com/article/supreme-court-hear-hiv-case-involving-cvs-p…
Can health plans force clients to get HIV meds via mail or at a specific pharmacy in order to keep discounts?
CVS Persuades Justices To Review HIV Bias Case
By Alexis Shanes, LAW 360
July 2, 2021
https://www.law360.com/retail/articles/1399999/cvs-persuades-justices-t…
Law360 (July 2, 2021, 2:17 PM EDT) -- The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday it will review the revival of an Affordable Care Act case alleging CVS Pharmacy's mail-delivery drug program discriminates against HIV and AIDS patients.
KNX 1070 AM LA: Insurers On The Hook For Billions More In CA Auto Insurance Refunds
By Craig Fiegener, KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA
July 1, 2021
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Carmen Balber with Consumer Watchdog explains how insurance companies still owe Californians refunds due to the pandemic.
Auto Insurers Raking In Huge Sum At Drivers’ Expense - Report
By Lyle Adriano, INSURANCE BUSINESS AMERICA
June 30, 2021
https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/auto-insurer…
Despite the majority of Californians driving less last year, most auto insurance companies operating in the state continued to charge pre-pandemic rates, managing to collect a windfall of about $5.5 billion, new analysis by Consumer Watchdog has found.
Should Homeowners Pay For Climate Change?
By Miranda Green, CALMATTERS
June 30, 2021
https://calmatters.org/economy/2021/06/california-wildfire-insurance-cl…
In hard-hit Napa Valley, which has burned multiple times this last decade, successful winemakers and longtime residents are weighing their options to rebuild or move out entirely simply by looking at their property insurance policies.
KNX 1070 AM LA: Bloom's Bill Bad for Recycling Bottles and Cans
By Emily Valdes, KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA
June 29, 2021
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court explains how West LA's Richard Bloom has a bill in the state Assembly that is bad for consumers trying to recycle their bottles and cans.
KCBS AM SF, CA: Insurers Owe Californians More Covid Refunds
By Mike DeWald, KCBS AM, San Francisco, CA
June 29, 2021
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment.
Consumer Watchdog's Carmen Balber explains how insurance companies have not fully refund the amount they are legally required to return to consumers after the Covid pandemic.
Consumer Report Claims Insurers Overcharged California Motorists $5.5B During First Year of Pandemic
By Staff Reporters, INSURANCE JOURNAL
June 29, 2021
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2021/06/29/620665.htm
Most California insurance companies continued to charge pre-pandemic auto insurance rates despite a vast majority of Californians driving far less last year, according to an analysis by Consumer Watchdog on Tuesday.
The report shows auto insurers reaped “a windfall of about $5.5 billion.”
