Monthly Archives: <span>March 2019</span>

Doctors Ask CDC to Clarify Guidelines so Patients aren’t Abruptly Cut Off Pain Opioids

Some physicians are pushing back against “widespread misapplication” of the 2016 federal opioid prescribing guidelines, while a new report from Harvard Medical School researchers gives some credence to their claims. Some 300 health professionals signed a joint letter to the …

Gun Industry Dealt Blow as Conn. High Court Allows Suit by Sandy Hook Victims

The gun industry suffered a stinging setback as Connecticut’s top court said families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre could sue Remington Arms Co. over its marketing of military-style Bushmaster weapons. The Connecticut Supreme Court rejected …

Experts Say Vulnerable Businesses Should Increase Cyber Defenses

When cyberthieves attacked Empire Industries’ computer network, technology manager Rich Shemanskis could see files in the process of being infected by malicious software. “We were looking at the network, and I noticed it, and another guy noticed it. We’re looking …

Clue Linking Mysterious Boeing 737 Max Disasters Came From Space

The first concrete evidence of a possible link between two deadly Boeing 737 Max crashes came from space. A new satellite network capable of tracking planes in high fidelity across the globe captured the flight path of the Boeing Co. …

Nevada Wants Plutonium Removed as Court Battle Proceeds

RENO, Nev. — The state of Nevada is asking a federal appeals court to order the U.S. government to remove weapons-grade plutonium that was secretly trucked to a site near Las Vegas last year until the court decides whether the …

North Carolina Lawmakers Mull Hand-Held Phone Ban for Drivers

RALEIGH, N.C. — With smartphones now ever-present, North Carolina lawmakers are revisiting distracted driving laws and on Tuesday advanced a prohibition on hand-held cellphone use they say will reduce accidents and potentially rein in insurance rates. The House Transportation Committee …

Insurance Group Says Data Suggests Cannabis is Increasing Accident Rates

Preliminary research indicates that the legalization of recreational marijuana in 10 states has increased accident rates, the Insurance Information Institute said Wednesday. The group cited an October 2018 study by the Highway Loss Data Institute that shows collision claim frequency …

Telematics, Parametric Insurance and AI Pitched as Claims Solutions

Technology companies anxious to expand their market share in insurance sector announced this week the launch of products that will alert carriers of unsafe driving habits, expedite payments to small business owners whose operations are interrupted by earthquakes, and use …

California Wildfires Left Toxic Threats Behind

PARADISE, Calif. — As an uncontrollable wildfire turned the California town of Paradise to ash, air pollution researcher Keith Bein knew he had to act fast: Little is known about toxic chemicals released when a whole town burns and the …

Prosecutors Decline to File Criminal Charges against PG&E for Wine Country Fires

An investigation into fierce wildfires that swept Northern California’s wine country in 2017, killing 46 people, found no basis to criminally charge PG&E, the utility whose power lines helped spark the conflagration, prosecutors said on Monday. The decision, which leaves …