Exxon's Torrance Explosion Could Have Been A Catastrophe

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:57
When Exxon’s Torrance refinery exploded last February, it injured four workers and took down an air pollution filtration system twelve stories high. That hobbled a refinery feeding Southern California 20 percent of its gasoline, and exacerbated a gasoline price spike. Californians wound up paying $10 billion more for their gasoline than elsewhere in 2015 as refineries gouged and gorged on swollen refining profits.
 

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Google’s Robot Car Report Shows DMV Is Right

Submitted by John Simpson on Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:35

There is new proof that California's Department of Motor Vehicles is getting it right with its proposed regulations for the general deployment of self-driving robot cars. Ironically, the evidence comes directly from Google itself, which has said it is “gravely disappointed” by the draft rules.

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Kaiser Gets Away with Hiring Regulator Who Worked on Mental Health Failure

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:16

If Kaiser Permanente can't evade the state's scrutiny into its mental health fiasco, it will just buy the regulators doing the scrutiny. And get away with it when caught. 

On Thursday, the Fair Political Practicies Commission approved a fine for a state official who was involved in the 2012 audit of Kaiser's mental health plan and then a month later started at the HMO and worked on responding to the survey.

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Capitol Watchdog: Upcoming Meetings to Watch

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 01/13/2016 - 10:13

A Medical Board task force (it's called Patient Notification, when it really should be Physician Probation Notification) will be discussing possible protocols for notifying patients about doctors on probation.

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One Chance for CA Regulators to End Outrageous Aetna Premium Hikes

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Mon, 01/11/2016 - 11:45
California health plan regulators have a rare opportunity to protect consumers from excessive and unjustified premium hikes by one of the worst offenders in the state. But will they use that power? 
 

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Will Peevey go to prison?

Submitted by Jamie Court on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 09:04
When agents from the California Attorney General’s office raided Mike Peevey’s home, the question arose about whether the former Public Utilities Commission chief could land in jail for impropriety. His transgressions against ratepayers include seeking utility contributions to his political causes while bartering secretly with utilities over their desired rulings in pending cases. 
 

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