Thirty-Seven Groups Urge Newsom to Halt New Fossil Fuel Drilling, Close Aliso Canyon
By Dan Bacher, INDY BAY MEDIA
January 9, 2020
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/09/18829591.php
Sacramento - On the anniversary of Governor Gavin Newsom’s first year in office on January 7, thirty-seven environmental and public health groups called on the governor to declare an “immediate climate emergency” and institute a moratorium on new oil and gas drilling permits.
Report: Salaries at California State Fund Being Questioned
By Staff Writers, INSURANCE JOURNAL
January 6, 2020
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2020/01/06/553686.htm
Salaries at California’s State Compensation Fund are being called into question by some people in the state Capitol, it’s being reported.
Salaries Skyrocket At California State Insurance Fund Following Years Of Scandal
By Patrick McGreevy, LOS ANGELES TIMES
January 4, 2020
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-04/state-compensation-…
SACRAMENTO — A California public agency that offers workers’ compensation insurance coverage to employers has recruited a high-priced team of former executives from the private sector to turn it around after years of scandal and financial problems.
2020 California Election Preview: Propositions Galore
By Samuel Metz, THE DESERT SUN
January 1, 2020
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/01/01/cali…
In addition to voting for president in 2020, Californians may weigh in at the ballot box on everything from legalizing psychedelic mushrooms to allowing sports betting at tribal casinos.
New Law To Increase Consumer Privacy Protections In California
By Major Garrett & Carter Evans, CBS EVENING NEWS
December 31, 2019
MAJOR GARRETT: 2020 will bring with it a new law in California that could impact consumers across the country. It gives shoppers control over the way their personal information is used. Carter Evans explains how it works.
(Begin VT)
CARTER EVANS (CBS News Correspondent): Whether shopping in stores or online, retailers collect all sorts of information about you.
He Removed His Own Eyeball In A Psych Hospital. His Family Couldn’t Sue — Until Now
By Soumya Karlamangla, LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 27, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-27/self-blinded-man-ps…
Roman Arustamyan can’t see the holiday decorations surrounding him, or his wife and children shuffling around in sweaters in their Van Nuys home.
California Tries To Curb Discrimination In Auto Insurance Pricing
By Greg Iacurci, CNBC TV
December 24, 2019
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/24/california-tries-to-curb-discrimination…
California officials proposed a rule on Tuesday that would cut discriminatory pricing practices being used by auto insurance companies in the state.
California May Limit Using Jobs, School For Auto Insurance Rates
By Don Thompson, ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 24, 2019
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/24/california-may-limit-using-jobs-…
SACRAMENTO — California is proposing to restrict auto insurance practices that regulators say benefit those who have more money, more education and are white.
California to Toughen Rules on Group Discounts for Car Insurance
Investigation found some programs discriminated against low-income people
By Leslie Scism, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
December 23, 2019
https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-to-toughen-rules-on-group-disco…
California Is Still Stuck In The Past On Medical Malpractice Payouts
Column by George Skelton, LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 23, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-23/skelton-medical-mal…
SACRAMENTO — California is arguably the nation’s most politically “progressive” state. That’s our reputation. Left coast and all that. But on one issue, no state is more regressive.
Holding Medical Providers Accountable
Patient safety depends on medical providers and hospitals being held accountable when they do harm. When there are no consequences for medical negligence, patient care never gets better.
California’s 45-Year-Old Limits on Patient Rights Must Be Updated
In 1975, the legislature placed a series of limits on injured patients’ legal rights. Most prominent among the law’s restrictions was a $250,000 cap on non-economic or quality of life compensation for patients harmed by medical negligence.
Will the Fairness for Injured Patients Act adversely impact community clinics?
No. Updating California’s 45-year-old medical negligence cap will help the primarily low-income Californians served by community clinics by improving their access to justice if they are harmed by medical negligence.
The Fairness for Injured Patients Act protects low-income patients
Updating California’s 45-year-old medical negligence cap will help the primarily low-income Californians served by community clinics by improving their access to justice if they are harmed by medical negligence.
CA’s $250,000 Compensation Cap Set in 1975 is Most Regressive in America
20 states plus Washington, DC have no cap on noneconomic damages.
- These include progressive states such as New York, Washington, and Connecticut as well as conservative states like Alabama, Wyoming, and Kentucky.
California is 1 of just 3 states with a cap as low as $250,000 with no exceptions. $250,000 is the lowest cap in the country. (Montana and Texas are the other two)
In just 2019, 3 states either overturned their caps or adjusted them for inflation.
Caps Have No Impact On Doctor Supply
Some argue that caps on compensation for victims of medical negligence prevent doctors from leaving a state because of liability fears. This claim is demonstrably false.
There are more doctors per capita in states without caps than in states with caps
Caps Have No Impact On Doctor Supply
Some argue that caps on compensation for victims of medical negligence prevent doctors from leaving a state because of liability fears. This claim is demonstrably false.
There are more doctors per capita in states without caps than in states with caps
Proponents Of MICRA Cap Increase Kick Off Ballot Campaign
By Malcolm Maclachlan, LOS ANGELES DAILY JOURNAL
DECEMBER 17,2019
SACRAMENTO – Often fighting back tears, proponents of an initiative to raise California’s 44-year old cap on non-economic medical malpractice damages kicked off their signature gathering campaign Monday.
FIPA Launch - KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA radio coverage
By Staff Reporters, KNX 1070 AM Los Angeles, CA
December 17, 2019
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment covering the launch of the Fairness for Injured Patients Act statewide ballot initiative in California for November 2020: https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/KNX_Boxer_…
FIPA Initiative Launch - KQED 88.5 FM San Francisco, CA radio coverage
By Staff Reporters, KQED 88.5 FM San Francisco, CA
December 17, 2019
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment covering the launch of the Fairness for Injured Patients Act statewide ballot initiative in California for November 2020: https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/RADKQED_12…
FIPA Initiative Launch - KFBK 1530 AM Sacramento radio coverage
By Staff Reporters, KFBK 1530 AM Sacramento, CA
December 17, 2019
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment covering the launch of the Fairness for Injured Patients Act statewide ballot initiative in California for November 2020: https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/sites/default/files/2019-12/RADKFBK_12…
Medical Negligence Caps Target Women
WOMEN are disproportionately harmed by outdated limits on the ability of injured patients to recover damages. California’s cap on compensation for “non-economic” or quality of life harm prevents women from getting justice.
Boxer, Christine Pelosi Support California Initiative Boosting MICRA Cap
By Angela Hart, POLITICO PRO
December 16, 2019
SACRAMENTO — Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer on Monday threw her support behind a November ballot initiative to increase a decades-old cap on compensation in California medical negligence cases.
A Boxer Swings For The Ballot
By Andrew Wheeler, SACRAMENTO BEE - CAPITOL ALERT
December 16, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23…
A surgery gone wrong ended boxer “Sugar” Shane Mosley’s career. Now he’s fighting to change a California law that caps certain medical negligence lawsuit payouts .
New Ballot Campaign Against Medical Malpractice Caps Kicks Off
By Cheryl Miller, THE RECORDER
December 16, 2019
https://www.law.com/therecorder/2019/12/16/new-ballot-campaign-against-…
Supporters of a proposed ballot initiative to lift, and in some cases eliminate, California’s $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases, kicked off their signature-gathering campaign in Sacramento on Monday.
CVS Fined $3.6 Million In California For Failing To Recycle
By Don Thompson, ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 10, 2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cvs-fine-cvs-fined-3-6-million-in-californ…
CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy health care provider, is facing a record $3.6 million fine for failing to redeem deposits on bottles and cans at some of its locations, California regulators said Monday.
Recycling Fail: CVS Faces $3.6 Million Penalty
By Sharon McNary, LAist / KPCC
December 9, 2019
https://laist.com/2019/12/09/recycling_fail_cvs_faces_36_million_penalt…
California's recycling officials are making an example of drugstore giant CVS, accusing the chain of balking at redeeming cans and bottles in-store and failing to pay recycling fees to the state.
CVS Stores Failed To Redeem Customers’ Cans And Bottles, And The Chain Faces $3.6-Million Penalty
By James Rainey, LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 9, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-09/cvs-fails-redeem-ca…
Seeking to pressure retailers to accept recyclable containers from consumers, the state of California has proposed a $3.6-million penalty against the CVS pharmacy chain after dozens of its stores declined to redeem cans and bottles.
INJURED PATIENTS - Medical malpractice initiative
By Hannah Wiley, SACRAMENTO BEE - CAPITOL ALERT
December 4, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23…
A ballot initiative to adjust the cap on medical malpractice payouts was cleared for circulation on Tuesday, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
PG&E Inspections Of Equipment That Sparked Deadly Camp Fire Were Flawed, State Regulators Say
By Hailey Branson-Potts & Maria L. La Ganga, LOS ANGELES TIMES
December 3, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-02/pge-camp-fire-equip…
For years, Pacific Gas & Electric failed to do climbing inspections of a century-old tower that malfunctioned and sparked last year’s devastating Camp fire, a state investigation has found.
EU Digital Czar to Probe Facebook's and Google's Data Wrangling
By John P. Mello, Jr., TECH NEWS WORLD
December 3, 2019
https://www.technewsworld.com/story/EU-Digital-Czar-to-Probe-Facebooks-…
The European Union has launched a probe into how Google and Facebook gather, process, use and monetize data for advertising purposes.
Instagram Ads For Vaping Gloves Spark Backlash As Health Risks Mount
Product that helps vapers avoid frozen fingers has 'seen a lot of success,' firm says
By Jeanette Settembre, FOX BUSINESS
December 3, 2019
https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/gloves-for-juul-smokers-being-markete…
You Can't Save The World If You Can’t Get Recycling Right
Op-Ed by Susan Shelley, THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
November 27, 2019
https://www.dailynews.com/2019/11/27/you-cant-save-the-world-if-you-can…
Recycling is garbage.
That’s rapidly becoming the only logical conclusion to draw from a series of failed and failing policies that seem to be throwing your money in the trash.
CalRecycle Director To Leave His Post At Year-End
His departure follows the closing of rePlanet CRV redemption centers throughout the state this summer.
By DeAnne Toto, RECYCLING TODAY
November 25, 2019
https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/calrecyle-director-scott-smithli…
Newsom Freezes New Fracking Operations, But Oil Drilling Permits Outpace 2018
By Dan Bacher, INDYBAY MEDIA
November 24, 2019
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/11/24/18828400.php
The FracTracker Alliance and Consumer Watchdog unveiled a new website on November 19 to continually map and update the number of oil and gas wells permitted by the Newsom Administration: http://www.NewsomWellWatch.com.
California Recycling Director To Resign In December
By Adam Beam, ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 22, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article237687549.html
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The director of the agency that oversees California’s recycling programs said Friday he will resign by the end of the year.
Consumer Watchdog Shares Ways To Avoid Online Holiday Scams
By Vanessa Borge, Good Day LA, KTTV FOX TV-11 Los Angeles, CA
November 21 2019
https://www.foxla.com/news/consumer-watchdog-shares-ways-to-avoid-onlin…
LOS ANGELES - It's the holidays meaning more of us are shopping - specifically shopping online.
Consumer Watchdog Shares Tips On Protecting Your Packages From Porch Pirates
By Good Day LA, KTTV FOX TV-11 Los Angeles, CA
November 21, 2019
https://www.foxla.com/news/consumer-watchdog-shares-tips-on-protecting-…
LOS ANGELES - The United Postal Service says they delivered more than 30 million packages a day last holiday season and that means more opportunities for thieves. Consumer Watchdog shared tips on preventing porch pirates from nabbing your packages.
Distracted Operator, Uber Blamed For Fatal Self-Driving Test Crash
By Keith Laing, THE DETROIT NEWS
November 20, 2019
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2019/11/19/di…
Washington — Distraction caused by a personal cellphone call is the probable cause of a 2018 crash in which an Uber self-driving car struck and killed a pedestrian, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled Tuesday.
Fracking, Oil Wells To Get More Scrutiny Under New Rules From Gavin Newsom
By Sophia Bollag, SACRAMENTO BEE - CAPITOL ALERT
November 19, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23…
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced a crackdown on fracking projects and a moratorium on new oil wells that use high-pressure steam.
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, involves shooting a high-pressure stream of water or another substance into rock to extract oil or gas.
Newsom Blocks New California Fracking Pending Scientific Review
By Phil Willon, LOS ANGELES TIMES
November 19, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-11-19/california-fracking…
SACRAMENTO — In a victory for critics of California’s oil drilling industry, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday stopped the approval of new hydraulic fracturing in the state until the permits for those projects can be reviewed by an independent panel of scientists.
Microsoft Shakes Up Privacy Debate
By Chris Mills Rodrigo, Maggie Miller, Chris Mills Rodrigo, THE HILL - HILLICON VALLEY
November 13, 2019
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/overnights/470370-hillicon-valley…
SHAKE IT UP/OFF: Microsoft shook up the debate over privacy rules with its announcement that the company will follow the principles of California's tough online privacy law across the U.S.
