Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Newsom Signs Bill Overhauling California’s Landmark Environmental Law
Jul 1 2025 // Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law a bill that will remake California’s landmark environmental protection rules, an overhaul that he says is essential to address the state’s housing shortage and...
WCIRB: 2024 Losses, Expenses in California Workers’ Comp 108% of Earned Premium
Jul 1 2025 // Total losses and expenses in California’s workers’ compensation system incurred in 2024 were $16.7 billion, or 108% percent of earned premium, a report out today shows. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance...
Containment Grows on Southern California Wildfire As Evacuation Orders Lifted
Jun 30 2025 // Firefighters made quick progress battling a wildfire in Southern California, which is now 25% contained after burning 485 acres in San Bernardino County and prompting evacuations. The Lake Fire erupted Saturday afternoon...
California Workers’ Comp Independent Medical Reviews Trending up, Report Shows
Jun 27 2025 // The number of Independent Medical Review decision letters issued in response to California workers’ compensation medical disputes is trending up in the last few years after declining steadily from 2018 through 2022,...
Judge Says California FAIR Plan Violates Law; Industry Fights Consumer Group Suit
Jun 26 2025 // A judge ruled that the California FAIR Plan’s smoke-damage policy violates state law, while in another matter a lawsuit from a consumer group is drawing concern from insurers that it could push the California...
6 Reported Dead After Boat Capsizes on Lake Tahoe in California
Jun 23 2025 // Six people were confirmed dead and two others were missing after a boat capsized on Lake Tahoe in California during a powerful weekend thunderstorm that whipped up high waves, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard and the...
US Supreme Court Lets Fuel Producers Challenge California Emissions Standards
Jun 20 2025 // The U.S. Supreme Court sided on Friday with fuel producers that had opposed California’s standards for vehicle emissions and electric cars under a federal air pollution law, agreeing that their legal challenge to the...
California Utilities Expand Power Shutdowns as Winds Rise
Jun 20 2025 // California utilities cut power to more than 62,000 customers across the state in an attempt to stop wildfires from starting as dry winds sweep the region. PG&E Corp. cut off power to around 60,000 customers scattered...
Pano AI in California Raises $44M Series B to Scale Early Detection
Jun 20 2025 // San Francisco, California-based Pano AI announced the close of its $44 million Series B funding round. The round, which brings its total amount raised to $89 million, was led by new investor Giant Ventures, with additional...
California Utilities Weigh Power Shutdowns as Dry Winds Approach
Jun 19 2025 // California utilities are mulling power shutdowns as breezy dry conditions across the state raise the risk of wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. may turn off power to at least 11,543 customers in 15 counties,...
People Moves: California Commissioner Names Insurance Diversity Task Force Leaders
Jun 18 2025 // Ricardo Lara California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara named new leadership of the Insurance Diversity Task Force. The 15-member task force elected its newest chair to be Vikita Poindexter, CEO of Poindexter...
California FAIR Plan Extends ZestyAI Partnership
Jun 17 2025 // ZestyAI has announced a four-year extension of its partnership with the California FAIR Plan. The Golden State’s insurer of last resort has tapped ZestyAI’s Z-FIRE wildfire risk model for risk assessment since...
AM Best Downgrades Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Members in California, Vermont
Jun 16 2025 // AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) to “a-” (Excellent) from “a+” (Excellent) of...
People Moves: Dann Joins The Liberty Company in California as Vice President
Jun 16 2025 // Connor Dann The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers hired Connor Dann as vice president, producer. Dann is based in Liberty’s Woodland Hills, California, office. In his new role, Connor focuses on expanding...
California Joint Law Enforcement Efforts Lead to 4,800 Stolen Vehicles Recovered
Jun 16 2025 // Joint law enforcement operations in Bakersfield, Oakland, and San Bernardino have made 6,727 arrests, recovered 4,842 stolen vehicles and confiscated 313 dangerous firearms, according to an announcement from Gov. Gavin...
D.A. Says Former California Police Officer on Workers’ Comp Went to Festival, Skied
Jun 16 2025 // A former Westminster, California, police officer and her stepfather were charged in a large-scale workers’ compensation fraud case after an investigation revealed the officer collected more than $600,000 in...
California, 10 Other States Sue to Block Trump From Killing 2035 EV Rules
Jun 13 2025 // A group of 11 states led by California on Thursday filed suit challenging a repeal by Congress of the state’s 2035 electric vehicle rules and heavy duty truck requirements. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday...
Climate Group Says State Farm Rate Hike to Cost California Homeowners $1,000
Jun 13 2025 // A report from a climate activist group says State Farm’s rate increases, if approved, would cost the average California homeowner more than $1,000. State Farm upped its rate request in May, a week after getting the...
California Commissioner Investigating State Farm’s Handling of LA Wildfire Claims
Jun 12 2025 // California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday said he has launched a formal investigation into State Farm’s handling of thousands of insurance claims from wildfire survivors affected by the Palisades and...
Hedge Funds Face California Rebuke Over Role in Wildfire Claims
Jun 9 2025 // Hedge funds are facing pushback in California as their bets tied to insurance claims stemming from the Los Angeles wildfires are attacked as unethical. The transactions in focus are tied to so-called subrogation claims,...
