Latest California Headlines
All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.
California Blazes Among Numerous Wildfires in Western U.S.
Jul 10 2017 // Two major wildfires in California that have forced nearly 8,000 people out of their homes are among numerous fires in the Western U.S. that have barreled across the baking landscape, destroying property. About 4,000 people...
Deluges Follow Droughts as ‘Hydrological Extremes’ Become ‘New Normal’
Jul 10 2017 // Texas struggled through its driest year in history in 2011. Four years later was its wettest ever. The Mississippi River rose to all-time-high flood levels in 2011. In 2012, its second-lowest. After a six-year drought that...
Insurtech Startup Buys MGA in California with Aim of Delivering Product for Agents
Jul 10 2017 // Insurtech startup Bridger has purchased Pleasanton, Calif.-based SCJ Insurance Services in a step toward launching what the firm contends will be “simpler, cheaper, and easier-to-manage automotive...
Zenefits to Pay $3.4M for Fair Labor Act Violations in California, Arizona
Jul 10 2017 // Zenefits is in trouble with another government regulator. San Francisco, Calif.-based Zenefits FTW Insurance Services violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by misclassifying 743 account executives and sales development...
California Surplus Lines Don’t Want to be Left Out of State’s Marijuana Regs
Jul 10 2017 // California’s surplus lines industry is trying to clear up the haze over a proposed regulation that would require medical marijuana businesses to purchase insurance only from admitted carriers. The regulation is one...
Leavitt United Names Chavez a Commercial Producer in California
Jul 7 2017 // Leavitt United Insurance Services has added Martin Chavez to the agency’s Napa, Calif. location. Chavez is a commercial producer. He specializes in risk management consulting for workers’ compensation and...
California Workers’ Comp Bureau Rolls out 2018 Experience Mod Estimator
Jul 6 2017 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has launched the 2018 Experience Modification Estimator for insurers, agents and brokers to help policyholders understand how their payroll and claim experience will...
California Governor Pushing for Cap-And-Trade Deal Before Deadline
Jul 6 2017 // Gov. Jerry Brown is working with lawmakers, business groups and environmentalists to reach a deal on extending cap and trade, California’s landmark program aimed at slowing global warming. Brown wants a consensus...
Bus Rollover on Arizona Freeway Kills 1, Injures 8
Jul 5 2017 // A bus driver was killed and eight passengers injured when a tire failed and the driver lost control of the bus carrying support staff from an Illinois drum corps. The bus drove over the median before tumbling onto its left...
Wildfire Forces Evacuations in Rural California Town
Jul 5 2017 // Crews have stopped the forward progress of a small wildfire in Central California that has triggered evacuations in a rural area north of Fresno. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the 225-acre...
Facebook Escapes U.S. Privacy Lawsuit Over User Tracking
Jul 5 2017 // A U.S. judge has dismissed nationwide litigation accusing Facebook Inc. of tracking users’ internet activity even after they logged out of the social media website. In a decision late on Friday, U.S. District Judge...
Zurich’s Fergot Heads to CNA as Vice President of Underwriting in California
Jun 30 2017 // CNA has named Gregg Fergot as vice president of underwriting. Fergot will be based in San Francisco and report to Dieter Korte, senior vice president of customer segments. He will be responsible for leading the technology...
California Wildfire Destroys Ranch Home of ‘Big Bang Theory’ Star
Jun 29 2017 // The home of “Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki has been destroyed in a wildfire in California. Nicole Perna, a spokeswoman for the 42-year-old actor, says his home on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area was...
California Broker Launches National Expansion into Captive Insurance Market
Jun 29 2017 // Sacramento, Calif.-based Owen-Dunn Insurance Services has embarked on a national expansion with the launch of ODI Group Captive to meet demand from mid-size business owners for captive insurance. In addition to creating...
JLT Specialty Names Aon’s Schaeffer Senior Vice President in California
Jun 29 2017 // JLT Specialty USA has named Jennifer Schaeffer senior vice president. Schaeffer will be based in Based in San Francisco, Calif. She will focus on business development with specialties in technology, fintech and private...
Nearly 60% of Payments in California Comp in 2016 Were for Medical Services
Jun 28 2017 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California issued report containing estimated California workers’ compensation costs for 2016 based on insured employer experience. The report also reflects...
California Continues to Move Toward Letting Customers Sue Banks
Jun 28 2017 // California has taken another step on toward allowing state residents to sue financial institutions for fraud, rather than letting banks force customers to settle disputes in arbitration, as a bill inspired by last...
How States Rate in Preventing Home, Auto, Work Accidents
Jun 28 2017 // No state goes far enough to protect its residents from leading causes of preventable deaths and injuries – commonly known as “accidents” – on the road, in homes and communities and at work, according to the...
2 Fires at California Rehab Center Being Looked into by Arson Investigators
Jun 27 2017 // An arson team in California is investigating after two vacant buildings were destroyed by fire at the 129-year-old Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles County. Officials say crews responded to...
Snowmelt-driven River Swelling Forces Evacuation of 90 California Homes
Jun 27 2017 // Authorities say 90 homes remain under mandatory evacuation orders following levee breaches along a river in California, the result of the state’s huge springtime snowpack melting in the summer heat. The Tulare County...
