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

Jury to Restart Deliberations in Oakland Warehouse Fire Case

OAKLAND, Calif. — Three jurors were dismissed Monday for undisclosed reasons on the 10th day of deliberations in the trial of two men charged in the deaths of 36 partygoers from a fire inside a cluttered San Francisco Bay Area …

Free Interactive Maps Plot Fires and Other Disasters in Real Time

On Wednesday afternoon, the Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge Road north of Tampa, Florida, was flowing at more than 3,020 cubic feet per second. The surface of the river was at 31.48 feet above sea level and dropping after cresting …

Failed Communication to Be Cited by Panel on 737 Certification

An expert panel reviewing how the Boeing Co. 737 Max was certified is expected to cite a breakdown in communication following revelations that aviation regulators didn’t understand key design elements until the first of two deadly crashes of the plane. …

Walmart Sues Tesla Over Fires Linked to Rooftop Solar Panel Systems

Walmart Inc. sued Tesla Inc., claiming it failed to live up to industry standards in the installation of solar panels on top of hundreds of stores, resulting in multiple fires across the U.S. The retailer said it had leased or …

South Carolina School Reopening Despite Toxic ‘Trash Mountain’ Fire

BEAUFORT, S.C. — A South Carolina elementary is reopening for the first day of school despite a smoldering, toxic fire in a 50-foot trash pile at a nearby recycling center. News outlets report Beaufort County School District decided to open …

Livestock Markets Jolted by Tyson Beef Plant Fire

A fire at a major U.S. beef processing plant earlier this month is upending American livestock markets, slamming cattle prices while benefiting meatpacking companies. The Tyson Foods Inc. plant in Holcomb, Kansas, had the capacity to slaughter 6,000 head a …

PG&E Faces Fresh Pain as Old Fire Claims Return to Haunt It

Seven months after a state agency absolved PG&E Corp. of blame for a deadly 2017 wildfire, the utility giant faces the potential of billions in new legal liabilities — and it’s unclear how it would pay for them. Despite the …

GE Risk From Reserve ‘Plague’ Worse Than Average, Fitch Says

General Electric Co. has “very high” exposure to the long-term care insurance market and is worse than average when it comes to the adequacy of reserves tied to those policies, according to Fitch Ratings. Genworth Financial Inc., which was spun …

Facial Recognition Technique Could Improve Hail Forecasts

The same artificial intelligence technique typically used in facial recognition systems could help improve prediction of hailstorms and their severity, according to a new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Instead of zeroing in on the features …

Edison’s Trial Over Liability for Woolsey Wildfire to Start in April

The first trial to determine if Edison International’s Southern California utility is liable for damages from the Woolsey wildfire that tore through Malibu last year will begin on April 27, a judge said. California Superior Court Judge William Highberger set …