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

House Passes Bill to Renew NFIP

The House on Tuesday backed legislation that will increase flood insurance premiums for many property owners to help firm up a program under stress from ever-more frequent and powerful storms. The bill’s passage was secured when sponsors made a variety …

Safety Group Unveils Top 10 Worst Toy List for 2017

Fidget spinners, a plastic Wonder Woman battle sword and a remote-controlled Spider-Man drone are among the toys topping a consumer safety group’s annual list of worst toys for the holidays. World Against Toys Causing Harm, or WATCH, unveiled the top …

NTSB Says Amtrak’s Lax Safety Culture Led to Deadly Crash

Amtrak’s safety culture suffered major lapses, including more than two dozen unsafe conditions at a work zone where a train slammed into a maintenance backhoe last year, killing two workers, federal investigators said Tuesday. Chief among them, investigators said, were …

Iran Plans to Probe State-Built Homes Destroyed by Deadly Earthquake

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani launched an investigation Tuesday into why government housing built by his hard-line predecessor collapsed while others withstood a powerful earthquake near the border with Iraq that killed more than 530 people. In the Kurdish town of …

NICB Releases Latest Annual Holiday Vehicle Theft Report

New data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows a total of 22,705 vehicles were reported stolen on the 11 holidays in 2016 covered in this report. NICB theft data is pulled from the National Crime Information …

FDA Issues Warning on Herbal Supplement Kratom, After Injuries, Death

Federal health authorities are warning about reports of injury, addiction and death with a herbal supplement that has been promoted as an alternative to opioid painkillers and other prescription drugs The supplement, kratom, made from a plant native to Southeast …

Samsung Worker Who Died of a Brain Tumor Wins Compensation Case

Overturning an appeal court’s decision, South Korea’s Supreme Court said Tuesday the family of a Samsung worker who died of a brain tumor should be eligible for state compensation for an occupational disease. The ruling on Lee Yoon-jung, who was …

Taser Reports 15 People Have Caught Fire After Being Stunned

The maker of Tasers said Monday that at least 15 people have caught fire, and five have died, after being stunned while near flammable materials, similar to an Oklahoma man who was burned beyond recognition after he was shocked and …

Wineries Work to Make up Losses After California Wildfires

A month after deadly wildfires swept through California’s famed wine country, hot-air balloons are floating again over Napa Valley vineyards splashed with fall colors. On the heels of the disaster, a new winery is opening, keeping the name it chose …

Puerto Rico Seeks $94B Federal Aid After Hurricane Maria

Puerto Rico’s governor on Monday asked the federal government for $94.4 billion as the island struggles to recover from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria, with much of the U.S. territory without power and thousands still homeless. Ricardo Rosello also …