Monthly Archives: <span>August 2016</span>

Best Practices for Valuing Fine Porcelain

A vase can be worth under .50 cents or over $50 million These days just about every household has some sort of porcelain, whether it’s as a collectible, dinnerware or holiday ornament. And it is one of the most intriguing …

Northern California Wildfire Destroys More Than 100 Homes

A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a Northern California town threatened by a devastating blaze nearly a year ago, wiping out more than 100 homes and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said Monday. The fire seemed calm …

Hotels in 10 States and DC Likely Hit by Hackers

An undisclosed number of people who used credit cards at 20 Hyatt, Sheraton, Marriott, Westin and other hotels in 10 states and the District of Columbia may have had their cards compromised as a result of hack of the hotels’ …

New Audi Technology Will Allow Cars to Talk to U.S. Traffic Signals

German carmaker Audi is rolling out technology that will allow its vehicles in the United States to communicate with traffic signals, allowing for a more stress-free ride in what it says is the car industry’s first commercial use of the …

North Dakota Homeowners Concerned After Neighborhood Yards Collapse

Some homeowners in a Bismarck, N.D., neighborhood are questioning the long-term safety of their houses after some backyards dropped as much as 7 feet in June. Jim Hopfauf is one of the homeowners affected by the collapsing hill where houses …

New Safety Alert Issued in Response to Tesoro Refinery Blast

Federal investigators have issued new safety recommendations aimed at preventing accidents similar to the 2010 explosion that killed seven workers at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released the safety alert Thursday after concluding that …

GM CEO Admits Company Flubbed Fatal Ignition Flaw

General Motors Co. failed to designate a flawed ignition switch linked to multiple deaths and injuries as a safety concern, Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told jurors at a Texas trial. GM engineers in 2004 and 2005 “misdiagnosed it as …

As Floodwaters Rise Louisiana Residents Struggle to Find Dry Land

Barbara Manuel saw a flicker of sun and that gave her hope that the worst of the horrific flooding to hit southern Louisiana was over. But then the skies ripped open, the lights in her house started to flicker and …

Small Businesses Pay as Russian Man Faces U.S. Trial in $170M Hacking Scheme

Prosecutors describe Roman Seleznev, the son of a Russian lawmaker, as a master hacker who orchestrated an international scheme that resulted in about $170 million in fraudulent credit card purchases. In a federal jury trial that begins this week, they …

Airline Industry Seeks Global Crackdown on ‘Rogue’ Battery Shipments

The world’s main airline trade groups and European and U.S. lithium battery makers are seeking tighter product-quality and sourcing enforcement, saying a ban on shipments in passenger airliners risks being extended to cargo carriers. Governments need to enforce regulations more …