California chooses its next insurance watchdog amid wildfire crisis

Californians are subsidizing mansion wildfire insurance as FAIR risk explodes

As commercial insurers have fled California in the wake of wildfires, FAIR has become the insurer of first resort for owners of multimillion-dollar properties in exclusive but fire-prone communities.

Cheat Sheet: These are the steps fire victims need to take to make an insurance claim

We have tips from California's insurance commissioner on how to contact the state and start the claims process, and how to keep you and your loved ones…

Election Night 2026

Vetted coverage of the 2026 midterms, by state.

Election Night 2026

Vetted coverage of the 2026 midterms, by state.

America's Decision 2026 | civicAPI

Live results for the 2026 United States elections, state by state.

150 Minutes of Hell: Death and survival in California’s fire tornado

California’s 2018 fire season brought a cascade of tragedies, from Mendocino County to Malibu to the now-ruined town of Paradise. But when a massive tornado of fire ripped through Redding in July, firefighters and residents experienced a singular horror that gave a clear view of just how dangerous wildfires can be.

AI is coming for insurance professionals – and women

New research reveals that millions of workers face both high AI exposure and low ability to adapt - and the insurance industry sits squarely in the crosshairs

Claim denial rates from health insurers have been declining (maybe) - Kevin Drum

I'll have our last ACS chart later, but in the meantime I happened to run across some actual data about health insurer claim denial rates, the topic du jour since UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in broad daylight, allegedly in part because of his company's astronomical denial rate. These figures come from ACA transparency data and is limited…

Your Guide to the 2026 Vancouver Election

Vancouver heads to the polls on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to elect a mayor, 10 city councillors, 7 Park Board commissioners, and 9 School Board trustees — plus decide on…

California AI-Unemployment Tracker (CAIT) - California Policy Lab

Tracking AI-Related Job Loss Using Unemployment Insurance Claims Data in California The California Employment Development Department partnered with the nonpartisan California Policy Lab at the University of California to conduct research to measure AI-related job loss trends in California, using Unemployment Insurance claims data, combined with AI exposure measures. The California Policy Lab developed the

2026 Vancouver Election

Get details on the 2026 Vancouver election on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Just How Far Can California Possibly Go on Climate? (Published 2017)

California wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions more than even President Barack Obama had proposed. But can the state pull it off, or will it falter?

Can Consumers Make Affordable Care Affordable? The Value of Choice Architecture

Tens of millions of people are currently choosing health coverage on a state or federal health insurance exchange as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We examine how well people make these choices, how well they think they do, and what can be done to improve these choices. We conducted 6 experiments asking people to choose the most cost-effective policy using websites modeled on current exchanges. Our results suggest there is significant room for improvement. Without interventions, respondents perform at near chance levels and show a significant bias, overweighting out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles. Financial incentives do not improve performance, and decision-makers do not realize that they are performing poorly. However, performance can be improved quite markedly by providing calculation aids, and by choosing a “smart” default. Implementing these psychologically based principles could save purchasers of policies and taxpayers approximately 10 billion dollars every year.

California fire evacuations: How to prepare, what to pack and what to do if you're trapped

If you’ve been told to evacuate, officials advise you do so immediately — don’t wait.