Economy

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said insurers need to come up with ideas beyond increasing rates to help solve the insurance crisis.

The state is still working out who will benefit from the $20 minimum wage for fast food workers that starts Monday. Employers have been asking for guidance since last October, according to emails obtained by CalMatters through a public records request.

Insurance non-renewals continue even as Commissioner Ricardo Lara introduces regulations favored by the industry.

California workplace safety rules for indoor heat protection are five years late, and the Newsom administration wanted to delay them again over state prison cost concerns. But the safety board rebelled and passed the rules anyway.

State agencies must follow a new set of rules when signing contracts that deal with generative AI, but don’t address harmful forms of AI used in the past

A cyber attack crippled claims processing nationwide, forcing doctors and hospitals to forgo payments and risk medical supply shortages.

The multi-year process started in late 2021 took the next step toward regulating business use of AI in California. The rules are expected to be influential given the number of AI companies in the state.

Machine learning predicts who will end up on the street, and then social workers step in and offer to help. It’s an experiment still in progress, but so far nearly 90% of participants kept their housing.

The consumer price index shows services are mostly responsible for persistent inflation, but prices for food and other goods in California remain high.

A new report says Silicon Valley economic indicators are mixed, despite layoffs. Population decline has reversed and overall jobs are up.