Consumer Watchdog News Clippings

Controller: Stem Cell Agency Passes Audit

Mon, 12 May 2008 9:21:00 MST

State Controller John Chiang said an audit of the state's stem cell grant program found its conflict-of-interest policies, grant administration, administrative expenses and expenditures conform with the voter-approved ballot measure that created...

Record Oil Company Earnings Haven't Trickled Down to Gas Stations

Sun, 11 May 2008 11:37:00 MST

BOUNTIFUL, UT -- During the first week in May, Doug Olson sold fuel at a loss.

The co-owner of Slim Olson's gas stations in Bountiful and Woods Cross charged customers $4.25 for a gallon of diesel — despite purchasing it from...

Community Colleges, Universities Asked to Join Stem Cell Program

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:25:00 MST

State universities and community colleges got an invitation last week to join California's stem cell research program.

A committee overseeing the $3 billion program voted on Tuesday to appropriate $18 million to train...

Prices at the Pump Up at Dawn, Some by 20 Cents

Fri, 9 May 2008 11:12:00 MST

Some gas stations in Arkansas raised regular by 20 cents overnight as record-setting oil futures gave retail prices a hefty boost Thursday.

The record state average of $3.52 for regular trailed those pacesetters but nevertheless has...

Major Repairs Needed at UC President's Residence

Thu, 8 May 2008 11:25:49 MST

Fixing foundation, water leaks may cost up to $9 million.

The stately Kensington mansion that has been home to University of California presidents since 1969 needs some major repairs and improvements that could cost...

Stem Cell Grants Being Doled Out

Wed, 7 May 2008 11:20:48 MST

UCLA, USC and UC Irvine are among the research centers getting $227 million to build laboratories.

California's voter-created stem cell institute is expected to award $227 million in grants today to seed a laboratory...

Chevron Commits to 'Alt' Energy

Wed, 7 May 2008 11:07:00 MST

Chevron Corp. will spend $2.5 billion on alternative and renewable energy technologies, part of its push to develop new kinds of energy, the company said Wednesday.

San Ramon-based Chevron said it expects to spend the money over a...

Taxing Oil Profits: Proceed With Caution

Tue, 6 May 2008 9:49:27 MST

Politicians are dying to get at more of Big Oil's billions, but analysts are torn about what that will do to prices or future energy sources.

NEW YORK, NY -- Politicians are eyeing oil profits like a fat...

Tired of Paying Through the Nose, Americans Try Praying at the Pump

Mon, 5 May 2008 13:07:05 MST

WASHINGTON, DC -- At a Shell gas station in Washington, Rocky Twyman and an unusual group of activists were mad as hell about soaring fuel prices.

"Last week,...

Examining 'Emergency' Insurance Regulations

Sun, 4 May 2008 11:11:00 MST

“Socialized car insurance.”

That's what insurers said would happen if California's Proposition 103 passed in November 1988. Advertisements said the referendum would put “big government into the car insurance...

Gas Prices Level Off -- For Today

Sat, 3 May 2008 11:25:00 MST

Stability could be fleeting, analyst says, as California average pauses at $3.92.

The surge in gasoline prices has stopped for now. The grumbling hasn't.

As the average price in California...

Chevron's Profit Tops $5 Billion

Sat, 3 May 2008 10:46:00 MST

The oil company beats analysts' forecasts despite an 84% drop in earnings from refining and gasoline retailing.

Record energy prices gave Chevron Corp., the nation's second-largest oil company, a bigger-than-expected...

Chevron Notches Record First-Quarter Profit

Sat, 3 May 2008 10:10:00 MST

Chevron's 1Q Profit of $5.17 Billion Marks Big Oil's Latest Gusher

Fri, 2 May 2008 13:41:20 MST

SAN RAMON, CA -- Astounding profits in the oil industry are becoming as routine as the anguished looks of motorists filling up their gas tanks.

Chevron Corp. put yet another exclamation point on the oil patch's long run of prosperity...

Gutierrez Refiles Financial Papers

Fri, 2 May 2008 12:57:00 MST

In the wake of a formal complaint claiming his campaign lacked financial disclosure, Richard Gutierrez has refiled documents with the Secretary of State's office, The Desert Sun has learned....

Exxon's $10.9 Billion in Profit Disappoints Street

Fri, 2 May 2008 10:46:00 MST

Prices at the Pump Aren't Keeping Pace with Rising Oil

Houston-based ExxonMobil, the No.1 publicly traded oil company in the world, rode record crude oil prices to $10.9 billion in first-quarter earnings Thursday,...

Consumer Advocates Warn Against Auto Insurance Proposals

Thu, 1 May 2008 10:49:00 MST

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The cost of purchasing auto insurance in California -- strictly regulated since 1989 -- is poised to increase, consumer advocates are warning this week, under two proposals working their way through legislative and...

New State Rules on Insurance Criticized

Thu, 1 May 2008 9:53:15 MST

An activist says the regulations will lead to higher rates. Officials say he's wrong.

New rules for setting rates on car, home and other insurance policies in California will result in higher premiums for businesses...

Consumer Group Warns of Higher Insurance Rates in Calif.

Thu, 1 May 2008 9:47:18 MST

SACRAMENTO, CA -- A consumer group on Wednesday accused state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner of adopting emergency regulations that would lead to higher rates for auto, homeowner and most other types of insurance coverage.

In a...

Heated Fuel Price Rhetoric

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:53:00 MST

Rising fuel prices are rattling a lot of people who want action, fast.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) has sent a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), asking for an investigation into the recent spike in...

Average Gas Price Tops $4 in San Francisco

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:52:14 MST

Motorists express dismay but not surprise at the pump. L.A. is not far behind at $3.878 a gallon.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Finally, it happened.

After days of inching upward, gasoline on Sunday crossed the...

Man Asks God for Cheaper Gas

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:20:00 MST

OAKLAND, CA -- A man of faith from the District of Columbia area is going over the heads of government and industry leaders by asking God for cheaper gas.

Rocky Twyman, a public relations consultant and church choir director from the...

Lawsuit seeks fair price for gasoline in Florida and other warm-weather states

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:35:00 MST

Suit Wants Oil Companies to Treat Consumers Fairly

Florida drivers pay among the nation's highest gas prices because of high taxes and the state's lack of refineries and pipelines.

Now consumer...

Wisconsin Stem Cell Industry Has Been Slow In Developing

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:06:00 MST

Madison, WI -- With the stated goal of capturing 10 percent of the stem cell technology market by 2015, Gov. Jim Doyle used a 2006 visit to the Medical College of Wisconsin to announce an important executive order. It directed the state...

Allstate Ordered to Implement 15.9% Rate Cut for California Drivers

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:31:00 MST

SACRAMENTO, CA -- A California Superior Court judge denied an Allstate petition to halt a state order to slice its automobile insurance rates by 15.9%, or approximately $124 per vehicle per year.

Judge Peter Busch...

Occidental's Profit Soars 53% to Record High on Surging Oil Prices

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:26:23 MST

Buoyed by booming energy prices and output, Westwood-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. said Thursday that first-quarter profit leaped 53% to an all-time high.

Analysts predicted continuing good fortune for the company but...

Gasoline Prices Passing $4, Setting New Records Daily

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 9:36:00 MST

Prices over $3 everywhere -- The question is, will we see $5? -- Gasoline now rivals Iraq as Americans' biggest worry

Gasoline price records are being broken throughout California for the third consecutive week,...

California Judge Won't Let Allstate Delay Cutting Auto Insurance Rates

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 9:17:39 MST

On the same day a new study dubbed California the nation's leader in holding the line on auto insurance rates, a judge in San Francisco denied Allstate's bid to delay cutting its rates an average of 15.9 percent as the insurer appeals state...

Judge Orders Allstate to Lower Auto Rates

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:12:00 MST

A San Francisco Superior Court judge on Thursday ordered Allstate Insurance to comply with a regulatory order to lower annual auto insurance rates by an average of $133 per vehicle.

The ruling means that Allstate must comply with the...

Gas Prices Reach Record High in R. I.

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:20:21 MST

And prices are expected to climb even higher in the weeks ahead as the cost of crude oil continues to surge.

What most of us had painfully suspected is now official: gasoline is more expensive than it has ever been.
...

A new era of campaign finance ethics?

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:18:00 MST

Watchdog groups optimistic new state legislative leaders will put policy above money chase

SACRAMENTO — As the Democrats' two incoming legislative leaders prepare to move into...

Hope for Patients Who Lost Policies

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:36:00 MST

State to Review Canceled Health Insurance Policies -- The action, which affects thousands of Californians, is the boldest yet in dealing with companies' practice of rescinding coverage of sick policyholders.

Thousands...

California Orders 26 Health Policies Reinstated, Opens Door to Thousands More

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:11:00 MST

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The state Department of Managed Health Care ordered the policies of 26 consumers immediately reinstated and opened the door to potentially reversing policy cancellations for thousands of more Californians deemed to have been...

State Will Reinstate Canceled Health Policies

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:48:45 MST

LOS ANGELES, CA -- One week after consumer advocates complained of inaction, state regulators announced Thursday that they will force three of the state's largest health plans to reinstate 26 patients who have had their medical coverage...

For It's 1, 2, 3.2 at the Old Ballgame

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:33:34 MST

Beer is high on price, low on alcohol content

Padres fans already know beer sold at Petco Park has a higher price tag than the same thing elsewhere. But they might be surprised to learn some of the beer...

26 to Get Back Health Coverage Taken Away

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:04:20 MST

State regulators to review thousands of similar cases

State regulators ordered on Thursday the immediate reinstatement of 26 health insurance policies for consumers who were wrongly stripped of them, marking the...

Patients Get a Victory as State Restores Insurance for Some, Orders Reviews for Thousands

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:06:00 MST

Insurance reinstated for some -- thousands more get reviews

State regulators Thursday set the stage for the reinstatement of thousands of Californians who may have been wrongfully dropped from health care plans over...

Anthem Blue Cross Sued Over Rescissions

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:13:35 MST

City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo says the health insurer made false promises of coverage and hid a scheme to drop sick policyholders. The company denies the allegations.

The state's largest for-profit...

State to Restore Health Coverage to Some Patients Who Were Illegally Canceled

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:54:00 MST

The Schwarzenegger administration will announce tomorrow that it is reinstating health insurance for some patients whose coverage was illegally canceled by health insurance companies.

Details of the decision will be announced at a...

Advocates Push To Reinstate HMO Patients

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:50:00 MST

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Though state regulators fined Blue Cross $1 million last year for improperly dropping policyholders after they fell ill, they stopped short of helping patients get their coverage back.
...

Allstate Gathers Data for Hearing Next Week to Challenge California Rate-Reduction Order

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:48:00 MST

Allstate has been given until an April 24 hearing to prepare arguments in its appeal of a state order to cut its auto insurance rates an average of 15.9 percent.

The insurer's attorneys will argue for a stay in San Francisco...

Allstate Finally Releases Claims-Handling Documents, But Keeps Some Under Wraps

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:21:00 MST

Carrier Draws Line After Making 150,000 Pages Public, Including McKinsey Report

Allstate's reluctant release of some 150,000 pages of documentation -- including a consultant's controversial recommendations on...

Donations at Issue in Delaware Insurance Commissioner Race

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:43:00 MST

Insurance commissioner candidate Gene Reed Jr. has taken thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from officers of a Pennsylvania company that has received millions doing work for the state insurance department.

Reed,...

What's Ailing WellPoint?

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:11:00 MST

Health Insurance Market Trends Fuel Climbing Medical Expenses, Which Are a Sore Point on Wall Street

Health insurance -- despite being famous for confusing jargon and complicated forms -- operates under a pretty...

Consumer Advocates Criticize Allstate's Claims Practices

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:19:00 MST

A California consumer advocate group is condemning Allstate for allegedly "systematically underpaying claims to policyholders, or forcing them into protracted court battles to secure a fair settlement."

According to...

A Survivor -- Jackie Speier

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 11:19:00 MST

ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MICHELE NORRIS, host: And I'm Michele Norris.

In Washington tomorrow, Jackie Speier will be sworn in as...

The 411 on High Diesel

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 10:42:00 MST

The Mr. Roadshow Column:

Q: Can you explain why the price of diesel has gotten so out of hand and is squeezing truck drivers so much, when for years it was so much cheaper than gas?

David Whitaker
San...

Flurry of Interest Over Allstate Posted Papers

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 10:32:15 MST

Critics look for keys to what they deem unfair policy pricing

Insurance industry watchdog Doug Heller was at a birthday party for his mother Sunday when he got an e-mail.

"Documents posted on...

Singin' the Blues? Not These Execs

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 13:24:00 MST

Blue Cross Chief Gets $10 Million as Health Care Costs Continue to Surge

"Wellness,'' the new marketing slogan of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, also applies to the pocketbooks of the insurer's top...

Political Insider: Anti-Pettis Web Site Comes Down

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:51:00 MST

After causing an uproar online, "Sam Scoop" pulled his (or her) anti-Greg Pettis Web site.

The controversial site came down Wednesday after repeated requests from The Desert Sun to figure out who was behind it.

...