Latest news with #Wiser
San Francisco Chronicle
21-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
California wants regular insurers to grow. But it's the FAIR Plan that's growing faster than ever
A decade ago, the California FAIR Plan was a true insurer of last resort. It insured less than two in every 100 homes in the state. Today, it is one of the largest insurers in California. New data from the FAIR Plan shows the insurers' presence is growing faster than ever before, adding nearly 90,000 new policies in the first half of 2025 alone — a sign that California's insurance crisis remains in full swing, despite tentative signs of progress. Homeowners on the FAIR Plan describe it as unaffordable and inadequate. A base FAIR Plan policy only covers damage from fire, lightning and explosions, requiring policyholders to pay for a separate, second policy to cover burst pipes, liability and anything else. It also caps overall coverage at $3 million per residential policy — enough for most homes, but not at the high end. But for more than 591,000 homeowners, condo owners and renters, there is in essence no other choice. 'The more we grow, it's just indicative of a less stable market. It shows that the market is in an unhealthy state right now, because more and more people are coming to the FAIR Plan,' FAIR Plan President Victoria Roach testified to the Assembly Insurance Committee in May. For Matt Wiser, affording insurance now means deferring repairs on his car and cutting back on the number of trips he makes to the bookstore or to have dinner with his girlfriend. Wiser was forced on to the FAIR Plan last year when his previous insurer, State Farm General, informed him they wouldn't renew his policy unless he'd complete a laundry list of wildfire mitigation measures — including tearing down the shed that's been on the property since Wiser's great-grandfather owned it. The amount of work was overwhelming and unaffordable, and so Wiser set out to find new insurance. He learned from local brokers that no private insurer would write new policies in his ZIP code — a swath of Fresno County that stretches from the relatively flat and grassy part of Auberry, where Wiser lives, deep into Sierra National Forest. Wiser does what he can to reduce his wildfire risk. He regularly mows, weedwhacks and brings in horses and mules to graze grasses that might otherwise fuel a fire. He passes annual inspections from Cal Fire and has a letter from his local fire department testifying to his efforts. Still, because of the overall high risk in his ZIP code, Wiser said no insurance company will send someone out to recognize the work he does. 'It is incredibly maddening, incredibly frustrating. The people who are making those decisions are city folks in air-conditioned offices, and by and large, they've never even been to the areas where they're making these decisions,' he said. 'We are judged by the ZIP code and not individual circumstances.' Now, Wiser is on the FAIR Plan, alongside 277 others in his ZIP code. Since 2019, the FAIR Plan's policy count in his ZIP code has more than doubled, now making up an estimated 47% of all insured residences. If Wiser had done all of the work and kept his State Farm policy, his premium still would have risen by about 60%, he said. But now he's paying about $5,200 a year, 85% higher than he used to, for the FAIR Plan plus a wraparound policy. Data disclosed by the FAIR Plan earlier this month shows that its policyholders pay anywhere from $91 to more than $20,000 per year, but it's not the price that weighs the heaviest on Berkeley hills resident Sharon Drager — it's the coverage limits. Three decades ago, Drager's home burned down in the 1991 Oakland Hills fire, a wind-whipped blaze that destroyed more than 3,000 homes and set a record at the time for the deadliest urban wildfire in California. But through insurance, Drager was eventually able to recover and rebuild. Both the home that burned and the one she rebuilt were insured by State Farm — at least up until last fall, when she was one of nearly 30,000 customers to be told their insurance would not be renewed due to risk of wildfires and fires following earthquakes. (A State Farm spokesperson said the decision to nonrenew thousands of customers was 'not made lightly' and was a necessary step to stabilize the company's financial condition.) Drager searched for a replacement, but no private insurer was willing to give a quote for the full value of her home. So she turned to the non-admitted, or surplus line, market — insurance companies that are not subject to California's pricing regulations. Even when she chose a high deductible, none of the quotes were remotely affordable. 'The numbers were astronomical. One quote was $40,000 a year,' Drager said. 'I had to give up. There was nothing available to me that I could afford.' So Drager wound up on the FAIR Plan, though she fears she is still underinsured. Over the past few years, as insurers cut back on writing new policies and not renewing existing customers, the FAIR Plan has grown faster and faster. Still, its recent growth doesn't mean the insurance crisis is still getting worse — it just means it hasn't yet begun to get better, said David Russell, a professor of insurance at CSU Northridge. While some of the FAIR Plan's growth comes from homeowners like Drager and Wiser who were dropped by their insurers, much of it likely reflects people moving, or purchasing a home for the first time, only to find the FAIR Plan is their only option. Many home insurers have restricted where they'll write new policies, and others — including State Farm and Allstate — have stopped taking on new customers at all. Once homeowners get on the FAIR Plan, it's hard to get off — Roach, the insurer's president, told legislators that in 2023, the average FAIR Plan customer had been with the FAIR Plan for about five-and-a-half years. New regulations, finalized at the end of last year and slated to take full effect soon, aim to get more private insurers to take up customers like Drager and Wiser. These reforms alter the way insurance companies are allowed to set their prices, which align California more closely with the rules in other states, but are also expected to lead to increased prices for many homeowners. In order to use these new regulations, private insurers will have to commit to writing more policies in designated 'distressed' areas — counties and ZIP codes where wildfire risk and the share of FAIR Plan policies is high. Those who already write a significant number of high-risk policies will be required to maintain their presence there. Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller said the department expects insurance companies to submit their first filings under the new reforms this summer. Part of that will include explicitly telling regulators how many more policies they'll be writing and by when. Throughout the process, Soller said regulators will be keeping a close eye on whether companies are truly writing more policies and where they're writing them. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has said a key measure of success will be seeing people move off from the FAIR Plan. Some insurers have already begun writing more policies in anticipation, Soller added. Drager is eager for the day a traditional insurer will take her again — but it hasn't come yet. Having rebuilt her home after a wildfire once, she's well aware of how coverage limits that seem high can be quickly eaten up by the costs of debris removal, replacing personal belongings and rebuilding a house from the foundation up — especially in an area like the Berkeley Hills, where construction is expensive. When she first made the switch to the FAIR Plan, the overwhelming anxiety of being underinsured kept her awake at night. Now she has resigned to it. 'I can't fight it,' she said. 'There was nothing personally I could do. My whole neighborhood is affected by this.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Ottawa County man acquitted of assault charges
MIAMI, Okla. – An Ottawa County man charged with violent acts in two separate incidents, was acquitted in one of the cases after a three-day trial earlier this month. Travis Wilbur's trial on two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon ended with a not guilty verdict in Ottawa County District Court on June 3. The charges stem from an encounter with Jeffrey Littlefield and Michael Wiser at Sycamore Valley Creek in July of 2022. According to court testimony, the two men said they were packing up to leave the area and were searching for Wiser's cell phone, when they said Wilbur attacked them. Wilbur reportedly came after the pair with a bat-like object, hitting Littlefield in the ribs and Wiser in the head, according to testimony. Littlefield said that after the attack, he drove Wiser to Grove INTEGRIS Hospital. Prosecutor Chris Garner said one of the state's witnesses was uncooperative, which affected the jury's verdict. In an unrelated case, Wilbur is due back in court on Oct. 5, where he is charged with first degree murder for the fatal shooting of Matthew Vincent Locastro, 27, of Miami, in January 2024. Locastro died from a gunshot wound to the head. In October, the court will either set a date for a plea hearing or for a trial. Court records show Wilbur and Locastro were arguing and then struggled over a gun. He claimed the gun discharged during the struggle. His attorney argued Wilbur should be immune from prosecution due to the Castle Doctrine. Court records say there was a total of five gunshots heard on the ring camera recording. When the last gunshot is heard, Locastro is seen falling to the ground, according to the affidavit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Smear tests, magic knickers and having a laugh – Being an older, bolder, wiser version of Vogue Williams is comedy gold
Anyway, I was 'working' in the home, minding the kids, and running the house and very conscious of the increasing pressure on my self-employed husband who was trying to earn enough to keep our little boat afloat. Our kids were 23, 12 and 10 and the oldest was about to emigrate. It was time for me to go back to paid work. We were broke. Before being a 'housewife' I had worked for a national charity as their PRO and fundraising manager. I had skills. I had experience. I knew that the recession might mean it would take a bit longer to gain employment, but I never doubted that I would get a job. Boy, was I wrong. I hadn't bargained for the fact that my approaching 50th birthday, coupled with the 10-year gap on my CV where my career used to live, rendered me not one bit attractive to an employer. Oh yes, sexism with ageism is a lethal cocktail. It took me until early 2012, as I turned 50, to finally realise that my chances of getting a job were remote. We desperately needed the money and so I needed to do something. In the end I decided to focus on what I loved most – writing and talking and see if I could paid that way. So began a long apprenticeship, learning to write opinion pieces for the papers and contributing to radio – both local and national. It was not lucrative but it was enjoyable, and I felt that it might lead to other opportunities. But had you told me, at any time, during the last 13 years, that in 2025 I would be touring my own one woman show, I would have laughed in your face in disbelief. Now let's be clear. I am not playing the 3 Arena or even Vicar Street (yet), but I am delivering my show, called Older, Bolder, Wiser in what promoters would call 'intimate venues' around the country and I am delighted that that includes playing the Wexford Arts Centre this Friday, May 23. Older Bolder Wiser is sort of a follow-up to a book that I wrote during Covid, which was published in 2022 called Wise Up. I had always wanted to write a book and as I cruised towards my late 50s I realised that life post menopause was not at all what I was expecting it to be. It was far better. I wondered why no one told women about the freedoms and the fun of these later decades. After the book came out, I was invited to various places to give talks on what could loosely be called 'positive ageing' and I realised that I was a woman on a mission. And that mission is to tell women (of all ages) not to buy into the consumerist messaging around anti ageing and other nonsense. Because yes, your looks do change as you age but if you become obsessed with that fact, you miss out on what getting older is actually about. Once you are through menopause, life is full of delicious freedoms. We are living longer and healthier and so our 60s and 70s provide the opportunity for all kinds of mischief, boldness, reinvention, experimentation or just the chance to have some fun. It is then that I believe women step into their true matriarchal power. Through Wise Up I met two women who were organising the first Funny Women comedy show since the pandemic and they rather 'assertively' encouraged me to take part. I was very unconvinced that I could do comedy, but in an effort to practice what I preach (the gospel of 'sure why not try') I thought I would give it a shot. And I got bitten by the stand-up comedy bug. I discovered that making people laugh is the most wonderful privilege. I have also realised that as older people, we have so many stories, so much experience, and much of it is comedy gold. So, I am mining my own life for the pure hilarity; tales about smear tests and so-called magic knickers, about navigating the world as a 6-foot-tall woman and the absurdities of getting older. There is so much to guffaw about. But the best thing about doing this show is that it is giving me the opportunity to meet so many women all over the country, giddy women with their own stories. Oh yes, we can all be Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally….. only we are older, bolder, wiser!!
San Francisco Chronicle
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area radio station petitions for return of Red Hot Chili Peppers' NSFW ‘junk socks'
Bay Area alternative rock station Live 105 has launched a petition urging the Red Hot Chili Peppers to once again strip down onstage in nothing but 'strategically placed socks.' A callback to the Los Angeles rock band's early days, during which they performed onstage nearly naked wearing nothing but white tube socks over their genitals, the effort is being spearheaded by the station's morning show host Marci Wiser. 'Sign this petition and let the Peppers know that we, the fans, demand a nostalgic nod to their most iconic (and arguably most exposed) era,' she wrote on where the petition was posted Wednesday, May 14. 'Whether they opt for the classic single sock, the daring double-sock, or perhaps even a festive holiday-themed sock for special occasions, the message is clear: Bring Back the Junk Socks!' The petition does not state in what capacity Wiser wants the band to wear socks, but the Chronicle has reached out to Live 105 for comment. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition has 13 signatures. Red Hot Chili Peppers — whose current lineup consists of frontman Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, drummer Chad Smith and bassist Flea — retired the schtick in the early 2000s but originally became known for their racy, sock-clad ensembles when they were on the rise in the 1980s and '90s. While the 'Californiacation' band is still active, they now perform fully clothed. Kiedis is set to make an appearance at BottleRock Napa Valley 's William Sonoma Culinary Stage over Memorial Day weekend, and only time will tell if Live 105's petition will make any impact on his festival attire. 'Frankly, in these trying times, a glimpse of Anthony's sock-clad… ahem… lower extremities would be more therapeutic than a truckload of mindfulness apps,' Wiser wrote. 'It's a reminder that life can be absurd, hilarious, and gloriously uninhibited. It's the punk rock equivalent of a giggle fit.' Flea reflected on the impact of the stunt during a 2019 interview with GQ, nearly two decades after the band gave it up, revealing that while it was a fun move in the '90s, it has also felt like it's held them back. 'We put socks on our dicks, and we're never going to outrun it,' he said. 'People are always going to think of that. … I've often felt misunderstood by people who don't know me and assume that I'm just a raving lunatic or shirtless dumbo jumping around slapping a bass.' Nonetheless, the move seems to still be cherished among fans like Wiser, who are fiending for another glimpse. 'Let's make this happen,' Wiser wrote. 'For the sake of laughter. For the sake of nostalgia. For the sake of seeing Flea try to play bass while simultaneously trying to keep the sock on.'
Irish Independent
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Broadcaster Barbara Scully brings one-woman show to Wexford Arts Centre
A familiar voice on radio, Barbara is one half of the 'So You Think You Are An Adult' slot (with Declan Buckley) every week on the Moncrieff Show on Newstalk. She published her first book, called Wise Up – Wisdom, Power, and the Older Woman in 2022, and ever since she has been on a mission to change the narrative around ageing, particularly for women. In 2023 she dipped her toe into the comedy ocean for the first time and realised she could make people laugh. She also realised that comedy was a great way to continue to deliver her message of positive ageing. Her new show Older, Bolder, Wiser is a combination of comedy and story telling. In late 2024 she did two test shows, both of which sold out and received standing ovations. Since then, she has performed at Dalkey Comedy Festival and at the dlr Mill Theatre in Dundrum. She is now taking her show on the road and is coming to Wexford on Friday May 23 to perform at the Wexford Arts Centre. 'I am thrilled to be coming to Wexford with my own show,' Barbara says. 'I am looking forward to the audience how ageing can actually be quite delicious, especially when you realise you no longer give a damn about so many things.' Older, Bolder, Wiser is a lively, rollercoaster journey of storytelling and stand-up comedy as Barbara muses on some of the absurdities of being a woman along with the joy of getting older. She says that once you stop paying attention to the messages about anti-ageing and other nonsense around how women should be in the world, getting older is great. 'Once you are through the menopause, you arrive at a wonderful time, full of freedoms and the opportunity to do things that you have not been able to in earlier decades. The problem is that no one tells you about it. Possibly because this is the very time when women actually step into their matriarchal power and have the ability to be all kinds of bold,' she says. 'I want everyone to leave the show having had a bellyful of laughs and feeling more positive about getting older than perhaps they were when they arrived.'
