California’s $27.6M Fine Against Mercury Insurance Remains After Court Action
By Staff Writers, INSURANCE JOURNAL
August 16, 2019
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2019/08/16/536518.htm
California regulators say a ruling by the state’s highest court means a $27.6 million fine imposed against Mercury Insurance Co. for improperly tacking fees onto auto insurance policies will stand.
'It’s A Go-To Hustle That Is Honest:' Closure Of Recycling Centers Impacts Homeless Community
By Nicole Hayden, THE PALM SPRING DESERT SUN
August 15, 2019
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2019/08/15/closure-recycling-cente…
Starr Thornton was tired from the heat. She felt sticky with summer sweat. She apologized for the needs she wished she didn’t have. She had tried to collect more bottles to return, but her body hurt.
California Disaster Risk Transfer Bill Stalls As Department Of Finance Objects
By Steve Evans, ARTEMIS
August 15, 2019
https://www.artemis.bm/news/california-disaster-risk-transfer-bill-stal…
The passage of California legislation calling for approval for the state to purchase insurance, reinsurance, insurance-linked securities (ILS), or other alternative risk transfer (ART) structures as financial protection against disasters has stalled.
How Hackers Could Turn Everyday Objects Into Deadly Cyber Weapons
By Margie Murphy, THE TELEGRAPH UK
August 14, 2019
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/08/14/hackers-could-hurt-ca…
It may seem like something straight out of a thriller: a terrorist hacking into a home, taking over household electronic devices to torture those inside. But, according to some experts, this may not be too far from reality.
Hacking Of Connected Cars Stands As A Major Security Threat
By Tim Sandle, DIGITAL JOURNAL
August 13, 2019
http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/hacking-of-co…
Connected vehicles will need better security feature to avoid cyber-attack. A new report finds that connected cars are open to being hacked and this stands as a major security threat.
FasTrak Agencies May Have Sold Out Your Privacy. Now They Want Legal Immunity
By David Lazarus, LOS ANGELES TIMES
August 13, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-08-12/toll-road-agencies-pr…
Transit authorities statewide have been targeted with lawsuits alleging that, among other privacy violations, information from toll-road transponders — think FasTrak — is being used to illegally market to drivers.
Watchdog Group Seeks Overhaul Of California’s Recycling Program
The state is sitting on a $340 million surplus in recycling funds.
By Kevin Smith, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
August 13, 2019
https://www.dailynews.com/2019/08/13/watchdog-group-seeks-overhaul-of-c…
Robot Cars Drive Forward Without Clear Direction From Washington
By Keith Laing, THE DETROIT NEWS
August 12, 2019
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2019/08/12/se…
Motorists may have to rely on automakers to keep them safe in self-driving cars in the absence of clear direction from Washington.
CalRecycle’s ‘Gross Mismanagement’ Led To Recycling Chain’s Closure, Letter To Newsom Says
By Andrew Sheeler, SAN LUIS OBISPO TRIBUNE
August 12, 2019
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/state/california/article233714092.ht…
The leadership of CalRecycle must drastically change or else be sacked and replaced by Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a letter written to the governor from the head of a consumer advocacy group, just days after the largest recycling chain in California shuttered all remaining locations.
Heavily Redacted Texts Show Mayor Garcetti’s Request For Home To Be Checked During Woolsey Fire
By Jaclyn Cosgrove, LOS ANGELES TIMES
August 9, 2019
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-08-09/woolsey-fire-mayor-…
On a November afternoon, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti texted the city’s fire chief to ask how much destruction the Woolsey fire had caused in a wealthy gated Ventura County neighborhood.
Heavy Metal Murder Machines and the People Who Love Them
By Theodore F. Claypool, NATIONAL LAW REVIEW
August 9, 2019
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/heavy-metal-murder-machines-and-pe…
What is the heaviest computer you own? Chances are, you are driving it.
Editorial: Can Recycling Be Saved?
Editorial by Editor James Folmer, REDLANDS COMMUNITY NEWS
August 9, 2019
https://www.redlandscommunitynews.com/opinion/columns/can-recycling-be-…
Recycling your cans, bottles, plastic, paper and other disposables through routes that avoid landfills is virtuous, especially for those of us who believe climate change is real and care about sea creatures.
California Insurance Commissioner’s Applied Underwriters Decision Challenged Over Campaign Contributions
By Don Jergler, INSURANCE JOURNAL
August 7, 2019
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2019/08/07/535203.htm
A pair of companies has filed to overturn decisions by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in cases involving workers’ comp provider Applied Underwriters, alleging the decisions by Lara were swayed by contributions to his campaign from people affiliated with Applied.
Recycling Centers Across Bay Area Shut Down
State’s largest company announces closure, shutters 11 local sites
By Adam Brinklow, SF CURBED
August 7, 2019
https://sf.curbed.com/2019/8/7/20759332/recycling-centers-replanet-out-…
Recycling Gets Harder For Morongo Basin Residents As Centers Close
By Staff Reporters, THE HI-DESERT STAR
August 7, 2019
http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_9cccac16-b975-11e9-880b-8f20c3…
TWENTYNINE PALMS — Declines in state fees and the recycling market will leave residents here with one less place to take their recycling.
Former NYSE Chief Warns of “False and Misleading Claims” From Tesla
Comments follow word NHTSA ordered Tesla to cease-and-desist questionable safety claims.
By Paul A. Eisenstein, THE DETROIT BUREAU
August 7, 2019
https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2019/08/former-nyse-chief-warns-of-fal…
Recycling Is Broken: California's rePlanet Shuts All Its Recycling Centers
By Lloyd Alter, TREEHUGGER
August 7, 2019
https://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/recycling-broken-califo…
We have long called for deposits on everything, California shows that even that is not enough.
California's Largest Recycling Redemption Center Operator rePlanet Closes
By I-Chun Chen, LA BIZ
August 6, 2019
https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2019/08/06/californias-larg…
Citing the increased costs of processing recycled items, RePlanet, California's largest operator of recycling redemption centers has closed, leaving 750 employees out of jobs.
Recycling Center Chain rePlanet Closes All CA Locations, Including In SCV
By Tammy Murga, SANTA CLARITA VALLEY SIGNAL
August 6, 2019
https://signalscv.com/2019/08/recycling-center-chain-replanet-closes-al…
California’s largest bottle and can recycling center chain, rePlanet, shut its doors Monday, including both locations in the Santa Clarita Valley.
California’s Largest Recycling Center Closes
By Austin Schoonmaker, SAN DIEGO ENTERTAINER MAGAZINE
August 6, 2019
https://www.sdentertainer.com/news/californias-largest-recycling-center…
California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers has shut its doors to all 248 of its locations leaving 750 employees without jobs. Thousands will no longer be able to rely on the supplemental income provided by recycling cans and bottles through its services.
California's Largest Recycling Operator Closes Permanently After 50 Years In Business
By Wu Qin, XINHUA NEWS CHINA
August 6, 2019
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/06/c_138287902.htm
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- California's largest recycling center has terminated operations for good after 50 years in business with 750 of its employees left jobless.
Major Bay Area Recycling Company Closes
Nearly 300 locations where people could redeem bottles and cans for money closed this week, and S.F. isn’t prepared to fill the gap.
By Nuala Sawyer, SF WEEKLY
August 6, 2019
http://www.sfweekly.com/news/major-bay-area-recycling-company-closes/
Consumer Watchdog Calls For California Recycling Reform As Centres Close
By Staff Reporters, PACKAGING GATEWAY
August 6, 2019
https://www.packaging-gateway.com/news/consumer-watchdog-california-rec…
California’s Consumer Watchdog has asked Governor Gavin Newsom to prioritise recycling reform in the coming months as the state’s largest bottle redemption centre operator rePlanet closes its doors.
rePlanet Buyback Recycling Centers Close In Temecula
The company closed all its sites in California, but other recycling options exist for locals to redeem cans and bottles.
By Renee Schiavone, TEMECULA PATCH
August 6, 2019
https://patch.com/california/temecula/replanet-buyback-recycling-center…
California’s rePlanet Closes CRV Redemption Network
The company closes its remaining 284 recycling centers and processing facilities and lays off employees as it files for liquidation.
By DeAnne Toto, RECYCLING TODAY
August 6, 2019
https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/replanet-closes-california-crv-r…
California Firm Closes 284 Deposit Redemption Centers
By Colin Staub, RESOURCE RECYCLING
August 6, 2019
https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2019/08/06/california-firm-clo…
RePlanet, once the largest operator of facilities redeeming containers covered by the California Redemption Value (CRV) program, has shuttered. The move will significantly reduce consumer recycling access.
rePlanet Recycling Redemption Centers Suddenly Close
By Staff & Wire Reports, PALO ALTO DAILY POST
August 6, 2019
https://padailypost.com/2019/08/06/replanet-recycling-redemption-center…
RePlanet, California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers, has shut down all 284 of its locations and laid off 750 employees.
In the mid-Peninsula, RePlanet had redemption centers in Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, North Fair Oaks and San Mateo.
Secret Formulas Guide Who Gets Denied Home Insurance In Wildfire Risk Areas
When insurance companies deny coverage or raise prices in areas at risk of wildfire, they’re often relying on secret formulas designed to predict what homes are likely to burn, according to a Voice of San Diego review of thousands of pages of regulatory filings by eight of California’s largest home insurers.
By Ry Rivard, VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
August 6, 2019
California’s Largest Recycling Center Closes, Shuttering 300 Redemption Sites
By Annie Sciacca, EAST BAY TIMES
August 5, 2019
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/08/05/californias-largest-recycling-c…
The state’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers has closed all 284 of its centers, leaving 750 employees without jobs and many who rely on income from redeeming bottles and cans without options.
The Biggest Recycling Store Chain In California Just Closed Its Doors. Here’s Why
By Andrew Wheeler, SACRAMENTO BEE
August 5, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23…
The largest bottle and can recycling center chain in California, rePlanet, shut its doors Monday, terminating its entire workforce and creating a massive gap in recycling availability in the state.
rePlanet Lays Off Hundreds Of Workers, Closes Recycling Centers
By Rob McMillan, KABC TV-7 Los Angeles, CA
August 5, 2019
https://abc7.com/business/replanet-lays-off-hundreds-of-workers-closes-…
ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- The future of rePlanet, the state's largest recycling business, is in doubt, with multiple employees saying they were laid off on Saturday.
Recycling centers for rePlanet were closed on Monday all across Southern California.
Insurance Companies in California Work Hard to Avoid Public Hearings Over Rate Hikes
A 1988 ballot measure was meant to protect customers from unjustified rate hikes. But the measure has loopholes that insurers regularly exploit – and regulators aren’t doing much to plug the holes.
By Ry Rivard, VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
August 5, 2019
https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/insurance-companies-i…
rePlanet Closes All Recycling Centers, Leaving Hundreds Jobless
By Staff Reporters, VICTOR VALLEY NEWS
August 5, 2019
https://www.vvng.com/replanet-files-for-bankruptcy-closing-all-recyclin…
Victor Valley, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Locals were amongst the 750 employees laid-off after rePlanet, California’s largest recycling center, reportedly files bankruptcy.
Lara’s Calendars Will Be Released - Delayed Disclosure
By Hannah Wiley and Elizabeth Shwe, SACRAMENTO BEE - Capitol Alert AM Newsletter
August 5, 2019
https://www.sacbee.com/site-services/newsletters/capitol-morning/articl…
After nearly two months since Consumer Watchdog filed a Public Records Act request seeking Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s calendars, the department said it plans to release the documents by Aug. 31.
California’s Largest Recycling Business Closes, 750 Laid Off
By Staff Reporters, ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 5, 2019
https://www.apnews.com/b1405399ff314bb38841ca1564513d96
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers shut down Monday and laid off 750 employees.
Cyberattack On Internet-Connected Cars ‘Could Kill 3,000 People’
A new report warns there is a real risk of normal, modern non-autonomous cars being taken over by a hostile hacker
By Jonny Bairstow, ENERGY LIVE NEWS
August 4, 2019
https://www.energylivenews.com/2019/08/04/cyberattack-on-internet-conne…
Cars Vulnerable To Fleetwide Hack
By Michael Finney, KGO 810 AM San Francisco, CA
August 3, 3019
Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast segment: http://www.kgoradio.com/2019/08/03/michael-finney-august-3-2019/
Adam Scow of Consumer Watchdog shares an Insider Report that Finds 2020 Connected Cars Vulnerable To Fleet Wide Hack
Eco-Tip: Contrasting European, American Recycling
By David Goldstein, VENTURA COUNTY STAR
August 3, 2019
https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2019/08/03/eco-tip-contrasting-…
On vacation in Europe over the past two weeks, I photographed some amazing sights. As my pictures show, even in crowded cities where cars line up for parking spaces, city planners have cordoned off extensive curbside space for the exclusive use of recycling collection.
San Fernando Valley Neighbors Will Testify On 2015 Gas Leak
Activists from Food & Water Watch, Save Porter Ranch, Consumer Watchdog and the Aliso Canyon Community Action Committee will demonstrate at a rally before the hearings, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to shut down the facility.
By Olga Grigoryants, THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
August 2, 2019
https://www.dailynews.com/2019/08/02/san-fernando-valley-neighbors-will…
Hacked Cars Could Lead to Thousands of Casualties, Kill Switch Needed
By Daniel Patrascu, AUTO EVOLUTION
August 2, 2019
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/hacked-cars-could-lead-to-thousands-…
ike any system that is controlled at least in part by a computer, cars can be hacked. This is a reality experts have been talking about for nearly a decade, despite that until now we're yet to see a coordinated attack against smart cars.
California Insurance Commish Toadies For Industry Again
'I’m ready to get creative… and now you have somebody who’s receptive to that in the department’
By Evan Gahr, CALIFORNIA GLOBE
August 2, 2019
https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/insurance-commish-toadies-for-ind…
New Cars Vulnerable To Hacks That Could Leave Thousands Dead: Report
By Staff Reporters, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE (AFP)
August 2, 2019
https://news.yahoo.com/cars-vulnerable-hacks-could-leave-thousands-dead…
A consumer advocacy group has warned that automakers are rolling out new vehicles increasingly vulnerable to hackers, which could result in thousands of deaths in the event of a mass cyberattack.
