Rising wildfire costs drive insurance giant to request steep premium hikes State Farm General Insurance has requested that the California Department of Insurance grant a 22% rate increase due to the magnitude and devastation of the recent wildfires last month in Los Angeles County. SFG made the request in a Feb. 3 letter to California’s…
In the past month, the State Legislature has completed its Special Session, which Gov. Gavin Newsom called for on Nov. 7. Last week, the Assembly passed two bills to help the Attorney General defend the State’s policies from anticipated litigation or enforcement actions filed against the State. Two weeks earlier, the Legislature passed legislation to…
“. . . Riverside County is a vibrant, compassionate, and welcoming county for all law-abiding immigrants and refugees; and commits to safeguarding the civil rights of all our residents to the fullest extent provided by the law,” declared the Resolution which the County Board of Supervisors adopted at its Feb. 4 meeting. More than two…
At its Feb. 4 meeting, the County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing to consider raising the fees for landfill disposal. Revenue from tonnage helps fund the Waste Resources Department. Typically, the Department requested a fee increase based on the annual increase of the local Consumer Price Index. This year, the Department had MSW…
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” This month, Riverside County health officials have confirmed its presence in the county. According to the Riverside University Health System, 23 cases have been identified and confirmed as testing positive for Bird flu….
California’s movement to improve air quality may begin to encounter friction and political smog. The effort to replace gasoline fueled vehicles with zero emission vehicles is not a priority of the new Administration. Shortly after taking his oath of office, President Donald Trump signed several executive orders which will change the Federal government’s actions toward…
On Friday, Jan. 23, President Donald Trump visited both western North Carolina, which Hurricane Helene ravaged in September, and the Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles, which fire devastated this month. The California visit, while from a helicopter, was positive for Trump. Governor Gavin Newsom met the President at the airport. “We’re going to need…
On Jan. 23, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills appropriating $2.5 billion to help fund the recovery efforts in the Los Angeles area after the devastation caused by multiple wildfires. The burning began Jan. 7. The Governor’s press release described the damage as hurricane-force fire storms. This was only 10 days after he made the…
It’s winter. It’s winter 2025. The COVID pandemic is past, the Bird Flu is still quite rare in humans, but it is flu season. But not just normal flu season, nationally hospitals and physicians are describing the 2025 virus season as a “Quad-demic.” Four separate viruses are spreading and becoming more prevalent. First there is…
Concern about eating healthy foods continued last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to state agencies “. . . to continue investigating the adverse health effects of synthetic food dyes and increase access to affordable, healthy foods.” Specifically, Newsom was also targeting “Ultra-processed foods.” According to many health experts, these foods “. ….