News

Think Progress

By E.A. Cruden

One of the worst wildfire periods in California’s history is slowly winding down, with the majority of the state’s deadly fires now contained or nearly under control.

Los Angeles Times

By Patrick McGreevy

After more than a decade of attempts to ban smoking at California beaches and parks, environmentalists have advanced new legislation to prevent lighting up in certain public places.

The proposals, approved Thursday by the Senate, now go to Gov. Jerry Brown, who vetoed three previous bills on the issue.

Supporters feel this year’s devastating wildfires have bolstered their argument and given their proposals new urgency.

Bay Area News Group

By George Avalos

State legislation designed to curb efforts by PG&E and other utility behemoths to saddle consumers with costs triggered by a company’s negligence has been approved by the Legislature and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Senate Bill 819, authored by state Sen. Jerry Hill, would prohibit utilities from passing costs that result from the company’s negligence along to ratepayers in the form of higher monthly gas and electricity bills.

Insurance Journal

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed into law a bill that is intended to combat what are believed underinsurance issues revealed by 2017 wildfires.

AB 1797 by Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-Marin County, is expected to create a requirement for insurers writing residential property insurance to conduct a replacement cost estimate on an every other year basis.

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“We heard from wildfire survivors about the devastating realization of being underinsured due to inaccurate or outdated replacement cost models used by insurers,” Levine said in a statement. “After facing the most destructive wildfires in state history, Californians should not have to begin the recovery process underinsured. California has prioritized protecting consumers and helping prevent underinsurance.”

Press Democrat

By Bill Swindell

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation this week requiring insurance companies to provide homeowners an estimate every two years how much it would cost to replace their homes.

Fox 40

If you've ever used too much data on your cellphone, you may have noticed your speed slow to a crawl. It's called "throttling," and California lawmakers are calling out Verizon for doing it to first responders fighting wildfires.

Smartphones, laptops and tablets have become vital tools for firefighters to save homes and lives.

San Francisco Chronicle

By Kevin Fagan

Verizon executives came to the Capitol on Friday to get a tongue lashing over the cell phone giant’s throttling of data service for firefighters battling the massive Mendocino Complex fire — but en route they nipped the scolding in the bud by abruptly lifting all data caps on emergency first responders.

The policy went into effect for fire-ravaged California and Hurricane Lane-lashed Hawaii on Thursday, the company said, and a fuller plan for the rest of the nation will be rolled out next week. Public agencies will be able to switch to the new plan at no additional cost.

“It was a little surprising to hear, and the right thing to do,” said Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, who had called for a hearing Friday before the committee he co-chairs to investigate Verizon’s decision to drastically slow data speed. A firefighting agency said that move put their first responders in danger because they were relying on the service to communicate during the fight against the fires.

Levine’s committee went ahead with its session anyway, hearing from Verizon brass as well as leaders of the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District, whose data was throttled last month as they were in the thick of helping fight the Mendocino Complex, the biggest wildfire in state history. But with Verizon’s surprise announcement, the conversation switched from how to address the individual problem that the Santa Clara County firefighters faced to how to craft future policy preventing similar trouble for other emergency responders.

ABC 10

By Giacomo Luca

On Friday, a California general assembly committee questioned firefighters and date providers about what happened. The Santa Clara County Fire Department says in a lawsuit that Verizon slowed its internet communications at a Northern California wildfire command center three weeks ago.

Fresno Business Journal

By Edward Smith

A local distiller endeavoring to make a product to rival French Cognac is finding an established home in a new tasting room in Atwater.

Ken Andrus of Fresno, owner of In Distill of the Night, will be serving Velvet Night Brandy alongside other liquors being offered at tasting room Sweet Potato Spirits when Atwater-based D & S Farms opens the location in October.

The tasting room will feature gin, potato vodka, rye whiskey and brandy  where servers can spend time explaining each of the different flavor profiles before them.

“We’re talking about people enjoying an experience and more true spirit-tasting instead of slamming a glass of wine down,” Andrus said. “You’ll be able to see the different character of the spirits and why they have those characteristics.”

Los Angeles Times

By Hannah Fry

Verizon Wireless on Friday said it will immediately stop imposing data speed restrictions on first responders throughout the West Coast and Hawaii after facing intense criticism for reducing service to firefighters battling California’s largest-ever wildfire.

The telecommunication giant also said it will move forward in the coming weeks on a plan that will feature unlimited data without restrictions for public safety officials.