Monthly Archives: <span>May 2017</span>

Fyre Music Fest Suits Says it Was More Like ‘Hunger Games’ Than Coachella

Litigation is piling up like bonfire kindling against organizers of the Fyre Festival that flamed out in a fiasco. Angry participants had lashed out on social media with the hashtag (hash)fyrefraud as the music festival fell apart on an island …

Researchers Warn Hawaii Coastal Areas Threatened by ‘King Tides’

Scientists have issued a warning that Hawaii faces the threat of serious coastal flooding this week and in June because a rare convergence of rising sea levels and some of the highest tides of this year. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported …

Iowa Drivers Can Download Licenses on Smartphones in 2018

Iowa residents should be able to start downloading their driver’s licenses onto their smartphones by late next year, according to state officials. The Iowa Department of Transportation conducted a pilot program with about 100 state employees who used state-issued iPhones …

High Court Ruling Favors Companies Defending Patents

The Supreme Court is making it easier for companies to defend themselves against patent infringement lawsuits. The justices ruled unanimously on Monday that such lawsuits can be filed only in states where defendants are incorporated. The issue is important to …

Florida’s Dry While Rest of U.S. is Wet

Spring dumped so much rain on the U.S. that most of the country is drought-free for the first time in decades. But in parched Florida and Georgia, wildfires have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of forests and pastureland. There’s …

Judges Crack Down on People who Snub Jury Duty

Elsie Mathews entered the cavernous 16th-floor courtroom of Oregon’s chief federal judge, sat down at a table in front of the bench and waited. She arrived in her white Metro West ambulance shirt and blue pants, expecting others to show. …

Florida Officials Worry About Drug Overdoses at Hurricane Shelters

Local officials are raising concerns about drug use at hurricane shelters, saying they aren’t equipped to care for addicts, unaccompanied minors and others with other medical needs. Nearly 16,000 people in nine counties from Indian River to Miami-Dade evacuated to …

Study: Admitting Mistakes Key to Curbing Medical Errors

Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States, with some research suggesting that errors can cause as many 250,000 fatalities each year. The medical community has made strides to normalize and encourage error disclosure for physicians …

Army Issued Warning Before 9 Died in Fort Hood Floodwaters

An alert declaring all low-water crossings off-limits to vehicles was issued at Texas’ Fort Hood hours before a truck carrying 12 soldiers was knocked over by floodwaters last year, killing nine, according to a military report. The report reviewed by …

Federal Appeals Court Affirms Florida Couple’s Conviction in Sinkhole Scam

A Florida couples’ wire fraud conviction has been upheld, according to a decision issued by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The couple, Glenn and Kathryn Jasen, were convicted last year after they failed to fix property damaged by a …