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

Louisiana Firm’s Co-Owner Pleads Guilty in Industrial Site Explosion

One of the owners of a company that abandoned thousands of tons of potentially explosive artillery propellant in Louisiana has admitted lying in order to be awarded federal contracts to “demilitarize” the smokeless powder, known as M6. Explo Systems co-owner …

House Lawmakers Paid $342K in Workplace Discrimination Settlements Over 4 Years

Newly-released statistics show taxpayers paid more than $342,000 to settle workplace discrimination disputes at House lawmakers’ offices between 2008 and 2012, including nearly $175,000 for eight settlements related to sexual harassment and sex discrimination accusations. The new numbers were released …

Nuclear Regulator Downplays Safety Warnings

The federal agency responsible for safety at the nation’s 61 nuclear power plants routinely downplays warnings from plant workers and its own experts about problems, including some with potential for disaster, a Better Government Association investigation found. Employees from U.S. …

How Federal Pain Management Rules Will Affect Workers’ Comp

Genex recently released a brief overview of the Joint Commission’s new pain management protocols. According to Mark Pew, senior vice president of PRIUM, a division of Genex Services, the new pain management protocol goes into effect January 1. “That means …

Holiday Season Poses Hazards

As the nation gears up to decorate their homes for the holiday season, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds consumers of decorating dangers and provides tips for a safe holiday. CPSC demonstrated some of the hazards, including Christmas …

Amtrak Train Derailed on New, Faster Route That Drew Concern

A Washington community along the new rail line where an Amtrak train derailed in a deadly crash had tried to stop the project on grounds higher-speed passenger trains would endanger pedestrians and motorists. The city of Lakewood, several miles north …

House Republicans Reveal $81B Disaster Relief for Hurricanes, Fires

House Republicans on Monday unveiled an $81 billion disaster aid package to help hurricane-ravaged communities and states hit by wildfires, almost double the amount requested by President Donald Trump. GOP leaders promised a vote this week on the measure, which …

Controlling the Defense in Massachusetts

In One Beacon America Insurance Co. v. Celanese Corp., 94 Mass. App. Ct. 382, 84 N.E.3d 867 (Mass. App. 2017), the Massachusetts Court of Appeals held that insurance companies have the right to control the defense of the insured after …

Puerto Rico Governor Orders Post-Hurricane Death Review

Puerto Rico’s governor on Monday ordered authorities to review all deaths reported since Hurricane Maria hit nearly three months ago amid accusations that the U.S. territory has vastly undercounted storm-related deaths. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said in a statement that it’s …

Feds to Target High-Risk Alternative Remedies

U.S. health officials plan to crack down on a growing number of unproven alternative remedies, focusing on products containing dangerous ingredients that have occasionally been linked to serious injury and death. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued a …