Local News Briefs

Gruber Grubbing for Council

Former local newspaper Columnist Frank Gruber announced Wednesday that he will run for City Council in November.

Gruber is known as an organizer of Airport2Park, anorganization seeking to shut down the airport.

On his Facebook page, Gruber said he announced on July 9, because “this afternoon UNITE HERE Local 11, the union that fights for the rights of hotel and other service workers in Santa Monica, began its endorsement process for the November election, and I threw my hat in their ring. As a supporter of the union’s organizing efforts since the ’90s, I am seeking the endorsement of the local’s hardworking members. “

Consumer Watchdog Files Suit against Anthem Blue Cross

SM-based Consumer Watchdog filed a class action lawsuit on Tuesday July 7 stating California insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross misled “millions of enrollees” about whether their doctors and hospitals were participating in its new plans, and failed to disclose that many policies wouldn’t cover care outside its approved network.

The suit says that Anthem, the state’s largest individual health insurer, delayed providing full information to consumers until it was too late for them to change coverage. Anthem also failed to disclose it had stopped offering any plans with out-of-network coverage in four of the state’s biggest counties — Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco and San Diego, the suit says.