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

Cities Are Buying Bond Insurance That May Be Giving Them Nothing

Around noon one Wednesday in July, two school districts from California’s Central Valley auctioned off their bonds to Wall Street underwriters. Both had the same credit rating. The deals were of similar size. They were being issued for the same …

Juul To End Advertising and Lobbying Efforts of E-Cigarette

E-cigarette maker Juul is shutting down broadcast, print and digital advertising and ending lobbying efforts in Washington as safety concerns over vaping intensify. The company on Wednesday said its CEO was stepping down and will be replaced by a senior …

Fire Threat Brings Power Cuts to Thousands in California

SAN FRANCISCO — Tens of thousands of Northern Californians will find themselves without electricity Wednesday as Pacific Gas & Electric cuts power to reduce the threat of hot, dry, gusty weather knocking down power lines and sparking wildfires. The utility …

Homeless Man Pleads Guilty to Minnesota Synagogue Fire

DULUTH, Minn. — A homeless man who admitted starting a fire that destroyed a 117-year-old synagogue in Minnesota, then walking away from the growing blaze because he couldn’t douse it by spitting on it, is expected to get probation after …

Facebook Wins Dismissal of Investor Lawsuit Over Privacy Breach

NEW YORK – Facebook Inc and its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday won dismissal of an investor lawsuit accusing them of deceiving investors about the likely impact of a privacy breach on its stock price, though the investors will …

Opioid Trial Judge Denies He’s Biased, Refuses to Step Down

The Cleveland judge overseeing more than 2,000 federal lawsuits over alleged opioid abuses refused to disqualify himself from a bellwether trial set to start next month, rejecting a request by drug distributors and pharmacies who say he is biased against …

Even Nobel-Winning Chemists Don’t Know What’s in Your Weed Vape

The vaping health crisis sweeping the U.S. is highlighting how little scientists and health officials know about the marijuana being consumed on a daily basis by millions of Americans. That lack of research, which stems from a longstanding federal prohibition …

Boeing’s 737 Max Flight Tests Underestimated Risks, U.S. Investigators Say

Boeing Co.’s evaluation of the 737 Max system during development used an oversimplified test that didn’t anticipate the cacophony of alarms and alerts that actually occurred during a pair of deadly crashes, U.S. investigators concluded. In the first official finding …

Carriers Demonstrate Insuretech Innovations that Simplify Adjusting

LAS VEGAS — The theme on the opening day of the InsureTech Connect conference was that the insurance industry is in dire need of disruption. On Wednesday, the conversation turned toward the digital transformation that has already begun. Patrick Gee, …

California Finds Affinity Group Auto Insurance Discounts Favor Higher Income Drivers

California insurance regulators released data showing what the CDI is calling “wide socioeconomic disparities” in auto insurance group discounts offered to millions of California drivers. The California Department of Insurance says some insurers offer lower automobile premium pricing to certain …