California

California


California and the federal government battle over hospice fraud, as victims lose coverage and care

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At 71 and a few years into retirement, Linda Henry felt like she was in good health, and only went to her doctor in Southern California for the occasional checkup. So it was a shock when she found out in 2024 that she had been enrolled in hospice, a specialized end-of-life […]

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States take Meta to trial in California in the biggest fight yet over social media harms to children

Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California. States are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit […]

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‘Psychological war’: Inside California’s expanding use of jailhouse stings

When Jason Zapata was arrested for allegedly firing a gun into the air, he was thrown in a dimly lit holding cell with trash strewn across the floor and a broken payphone on the wall. It had nothing more than a rusted toilet, sink and three wooden benches that looked as though they had never […]

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Fees for public records? A bill could kneecap California transparency laws

A bill winding its way through Sacramento right now would make some of the biggest changes in decades to the California Public Records Act — the 58-year-old state law that guarantees everyone has access to government documents and data. Proponents argue AB 1821 is necessary to help local governments weather a deluge of burdensome requests […]

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California sues 23andMe, alleging it failed to protect user data in 2023 breach

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California’s attorney general sued the genetic testing company formerly known as 23andMe on Thursday, alleging it failed to protect sensitive user data in a 2023 breach that affected nearly 7 million people across the country. Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the lawsuit against Chrome Holding Co., which 23andMe rebranded under after […]

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GM just paid a record penalty for breaking California privacy law

General Motors agreed to pay $12.75 million in civil penalties for selling driving data of hundreds of thousands of California motorists to data brokers, allegedly without their consent. The settlement, announced Friday, is the largest ever for violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act, a 2018 law that requires companies to tell consumers about how […]

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Trump wants data on California’s trans and abortion care. Can the state stop him?

The latest clash between California and President Donald Trump over abortion and gender-affirming care could soon leave doctors caught between state and federal law. Under a bill that may soon pass the Legislature, California medical providers and affiliated businesses could face hefty state fines if they comply with a federal subpoena seeking abortion, gender-affirming or […]

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California officials charge 21 people in hospice fraud exceeding $250 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California officials on Thursday said they uncovered a multimillion-dollar scheme to use stolen identities from people outside the state to charge for hospice services paid for with a government insurance program. State Attorney General Rob Bonta said officials have charged 21 and have so far arrested 5 people involved as the […]

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Pebble Beach golf, Maui resorts, European tours: How special interests woo California lawmakers

A golf tournament at the scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links with free spa treatments. A six-day stay at an upscale resort in Maui. Tours to Spain, Portugal, Norway and Australia. Those are among dozens of free trips California state lawmakers took last year, most sponsored and attended by special interest groups with business before the […]

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Privacy activists call on California to remove covert license plate readers

More than two dozen privacy and advocacy organizations are calling on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to remove a network of covert license plate readers deployed across Southern California that the groups believe feed data into a controversial U.S. Border Patrol predictive domestic intelligence program that scans the country’s roadways for suspicious travel patterns. “We ask […]

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Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit seeking detailed voter information from California

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against California that sought detailed voting records and personal data on its 23 million registered voters, concluding that the government’s request was “unprecedented and illegal.” The Trump administration’s lawsuit, filed last year, contended that California and other states […]

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California governor vetoes bill to restrict kids’ access to AI chatbots

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday vetoed landmark legislation that would have restricted children’s access to AI chatbots. The bill would have banned companies from making AI chatbots available to anyone under 18 years old unless the businesses could ensure the technology couldn’t engage in sexual conversations or encourage self-harm. “While […]

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