California
Big homeowner rate hike from State Farm shot down by California regulator
In summary
In the wake of the Los Angeles fires, State Farm asked for an “emergency” premium increase of 22% on average for California homeowners. Lara today denied the request pending more information.
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara today rejected State Farm’s request for “emergency” rate increases, setting up what could be a highly consequential showdown with the state’s biggest insurer — and going against the recommendation of his staff experts.
Lara, who has been urging insurance companies to write policies in the state again despite increasing wildfire risks, says in a letter to State Farm executives that he needs more information before he can approve an increase. He asks them to appear before him in person on Feb. 26 at the Insurance Department’s office in Oakland to answer his questions at an “informal conference.”
“The burden is on State Farm to demonstrate that interim relief is warranted under the circumstances,” the commissioner says in his letter. “My goal is to make sure policyholders do not have to pay more than is required. In light of the recent Los Angeles wildfires, State Farm’s customers need real answers about why they are being asked to pay more and what responsibility the company’s leadership is taking to get its financial house in order.”
“State Farm’s customers need real answers about why they are being asked to pay more and what responsibility the company’s leadership is taking to get its financial house in order.”Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner, in a letter denying State Farm’s request for “emergency” rate increases on home insurance policies
The company last week asked for interim rate increases averaging 22% for homeowners, 15% for renters and 38% for condominium owners, saying it had already paid out $1 billion in claims from the Los Angeles County fires so far and expected to “pay out significantly more.” It wanted to be able to raise premiums starting in May.
Before making the interim request, State Farm had been waiting for the Insurance Department to approve its rate increase requests from last year.
Lara acknowledged in the letter that his staff recommended last week that he approve the company’s request, but said “my primary responsibility is to the people of California.”
In his letter, among the things Lara asks for are an explanation of what has changed between State Farm’s request last summer and now; what else the company is doing to improve its financial situation besides raising rates; and whether State Farm’s parent company would be able to step in to help. The commissioner also asks how granting the company its request would affect its 2023 decision to continue not writing new policies in California, which was followed by its decision last year not to renew the policies of tens of thousands of customers in the state.
Lara mentions in the letter that with his department’s approval, the company received rate increases of 6.9%, 6.9% and 20% in 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively. “In the absence of non-wildfire catastrophic losses in 2022 and 2023, how does State Farm explain the significant decrease in its policyholder surplus?” he asks.
Dan Krause, chief executive of State Farm General, the California arm of State Farm Group, said in a letter to Lara dated Feb. 3 that the company has nearly 3 million policies in the state, including 1 million homeowner policies. He asked for the commissioner to bypass the usual hearings, which are required by state law when an insurer requests rate increases above 7% and the increases have been challenged by an intervenor. Krause wrote that “there is simply too much at stake for SFG’s customers and the broader market if any rate increase has to wait on a full hearing or other resolution in the normal course.”
In the insurance department’s recommendation for approving the rate increases sought by State Farm, the staff noted that the proposed agreement would have been subject to refunds promised by the company if the department eventually approves rates lower than the interim rates.
The meeting at which Lara is asking State Farm executives to appear in person will also include Consumer Watchdog, the group that intervened last year when the company filed its rate requests.
Consumer Watchdog last week urged the commissioner to reject State Farm’s request for the interim rate increases. In a press release, the group accused the company of “misleading policyholders into believing its financial condition is at risk.”
The consumer advocacy group had a mixed reaction to the commissioner’s action, saying he needs to follow the law and hold a public rate hearing.
“The Commissioner is right to call for more scrutiny of State Farm, which has so far stonewalled information requests,” said Pam Pressley, an attorney for the group, in a press release today. “However, the outstanding issues need to be raised and answered in a formal hearing, which Consumer Watchdog has called for, where there is formal discovery and due process rights.”
Still, the group plans to attend Lara’s meeting on Feb. 26, Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court told CalMatters today. “We will take every opportunity we can to make our case even if we disagree with the process,” he said.
State Farm has not responded to a request for comment. When asked to comment last week about its proposed emergency rate increase, a State Farm spokesperson referred to a statement on the company website that said in part that “insurance will cost more for customers in California going forward because the risk is greater in California.”
Property owners in California have struggled with insurance availability and affordability in the past few years as companies have either stopped renewing policies or writing new ones, citing wildfire risk and inflation. Many homeowners have had to turn to the FAIR Plan, a coverage pool, funded by insurance companies operating in California, that’s required by law to provide fire insurance to those who can’t otherwise find it.
This week, Lara approved a $1 billion lifeline sought by the FAIR Plan, which said it risked running out of money to operate as it pays out claims for the Los Angeles-area fires. Its member companies will be responsible for that amount, and are expected to take advantage of their new ability to try to recoup half of that money from their customers by charging them a one-time fee.
Last year, the commissioner rolled out a multi-part effort to address insurance availability in the state. It took effect at the beginning of 2025, right before the L.A.-area fires.
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California
CA state senator physically, verbally harassed at pride parade for Israel stance | The Jerusalem Post
California State Senator Scott Wiener was harassed for his stance on Gaza during the San Francisco Trans March on Friday, to the point where it was no longer safe for him to remain, Wiener said.
A group of people were so “physically and verbally aggressive that it was impossible for me to safely remain in the park,” Wiener stated, adding that this was the first time he did not participate in the march.
Wiener was surrounded by people who made statements about his “Israeli handlers, among many other inaccurate, extreme, and vile statements,” Wiener said.
“We f***ing hate you. You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel,” one person yelled in a video later shared on social media.
Wiener stated that while he has no objection to anyone disagreeing, opposing, or protesting him, the “harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line.”
“In San Francisco, we’re better than that,” he added.
Mayor Daniel Lurie made a statement on X/Twitter condemning the harassment, calling the language used “targeted, hateful, and antisemitic.”
In San Francisco, we welcome disagreement and respectful dialogue around issues many of us feel passionately about – but we cannot allow harassment and threats of violence,” Lurie wrote.
The California State Senate Democratic Caucus also released a statement on X, condemning the hate Wiener received.
“The harassment and violence shown from yesterday’s march in San Francisco towards Senator Scott Wiener is unacceptable and must be called out,” the statement read.
The caucus also pointed to Wiener’s work on legislation “advancing the rights and protections for Transgender, Gender Expansive and Intersex people.”
“The CA Senate Democratic Caucus and CA LGBTQ Caucus jointly denounce the verbal harassment and attacks he experienced,” the statement said.
California
At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said
California authorities unearthed at least 117 dogs in “various states of decomposition” on Friday, many of which appeared to have been killed by gunshot, as part of an ongoing investigation into an animal rescue organization.
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The bodies were discovered during a search of Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Officials had been granted a warrant that included excavation of the property for evidence that dogs had been buried in “mass graves.”
The 117 canine remains were those found mostly intact at two sites, the sheriff’s office said. Nearly two dozen skulls, “hundreds” of bones, and 600 dog collars were also recovered on the property.
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal thanked the law enforcement teams and forensic veterinarians who assisted in the recovery. In a statement, he noted that the investigation is “just getting started.”
“The determination all of these professionals showed while working through this horrific scene is something we will not forget,” Honsal said.
NBC News was not able to reach Shannon Miranda, the founder of Miranda’s Rescue, by phone on Sunday. She did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April regarding allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue, and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.
An initial search warrant was executed on May 1, at which time officials seized evidence related to the investigation. Investigators also determined that a “significant number” of animals surrendered to the rescue had not been accounted for.
A second search warrant, executed Thursday, led to the recovery of the canine remains.
Forensic veterinarians were able to examine 71 of the bodies on-site Thursday but did not have time to reach the remaining 46. A preliminary examination — including X-rays of the remains — found that “many of those animals showed evidence of bullet fragments.”
Investigators are working to identify dogs that were microchipped.
Other remains were found “in advanced stages of decomposition” and were deemed too severely deteriorated to be removed from their burial site, the sheriff’s office said.
This investigation is expected to be lengthy, the sheriff’s office cautioned in a statement to the public.
“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office understands the public’s desire for accountability and justice,” it said. “However, it is our responsibility to conduct a complete, impartial, and legally sound investigation while ensuring that the constitutional and legal rights of everyone involved are protected throughout the process.”
No charges were announced.
Miranda was not available for comment, but posted a statement on June 18 addressing “recent media coverage and online commentary,” on the rescue’s website. The statement described two incidents that had “drawn particular attention” both involving animals that were killed at the facility.
The first involved a dog that killed another animal and attacked a third; the second involved a dog that lunged at a stroller carrying a baby, according to the statement.
“These were not decisions made lightly and were based on my responsibility to protect both the public and the animals in our care,” Miranda wrote.
The statement also described Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill shelter, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to free up space, but acknowledged euthanasia is sometimes necessary.
“Whenever euthanasia has been necessary, I have notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required,” Miranda wrote. “I believe it is important to maintain a clear record of these difficult decisions.”
Long Beach city officials have confirmed California’s first human case of West Nile virus in 2026.
In a news release shared Friday, the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services said that the person was hospitalized with “neuroinvasive illness” and has since been recovering at home.
“While there have been WNV positive mosquito detections in California, including in Long Beach, this is the first symptomatic case reported in California for the 2026 season,” the release said.
Health officials said that West Nile virus typically spreads through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. While most people who get infected with WNV have no symptoms, one in 150 may develop more serious illnesses like brain inflammation, paralysis or death. Typical symptoms include fever, rash, body aches, headache, nausea and vomiting.
They advised anyone exhibiting such symptoms to seek immediate medical care.
“The risk of WNV and other mosquito-borne diseases increases during hot weather, typically from June to October,” officials said. “People who are over 55 years old or have chronic health conditions are at higher risk for severe illness.”
Acting Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Cliff Okada urged residents to take several precautions to prevent infection, including:
- using insect repellent to prevent mosquito bites
- wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if spending time outdoors during dawn or dusk
- install or repair window screens
- remove standing water around their homes
- report increased mosquito activity so health officials can take action
People seeking further information or who wish to know more about how to protect themselves from mosquito bites was asked to contact the city’s mosquito hotline at 562-570-4132.
Health officials said the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito-
borne diseases increases during hot weather, typically from June to October.
WNV spreads through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito.
Symptoms of may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and
headaches. Most people infected have no symptoms; approximately one in 150 may
develop more serious disease, such as brain inflammation, paralysis or death.
Those who are over 55 years old or have chronic health conditions are
at higher risk for severe illness. People with these symptoms should seek
immediate medical care.
There is no vaccine or treatment for West Nile virus.
Acting City Health Officer Dr. Cliff Okada urged residents to take the
following precautions:
— Dump and drain standing water around your home.
— Prevent mosquito bites by applying insect repellent with EPA-
registered active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or lemon
eucalyptus before going outside.
— Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if spending time outside
during dawn and dusk.
— Install or repair door and window screens.
Additional information about mosquito prevention and West Nile virus
is available at longbeach.gov/mosquitoes.
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