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

Police, Victims Warn Against Firing Guns on New Year’s Eve

Kaitlyn Kong thought she had been punched hard in the abdomen as she stood among thousands of people in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, as the new year arrived a year ago. Her best friend, standing next to her, thought Kong …

Feds Review Hurricane Irma Invoices From 3 Florida Cities

MIAMI — Three South Florida cities are being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General for “questionable invoices” and other documents submitted by consultants for reimbursement of debris cleanup from Hurricane Irma. The Federal Emergency Management …

California’s Gov. Newsom Had ‘Baptism by Fire’ in 1st Year

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — During his inaugural address last January, California Gov. Gavin Newsom made only a passing reference to wildfires and never mentioned the state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric. Both soon became inescapable topics. PG&E filed for bankruptcy …

Indiana’s Worst Environmental Disaster, 20 Years Later

ANDERSON, Ind. — Twenty years later, Jim Hensley still remembers that call. The longtime machinist was sitting in the shop of the Guide Corp. plant in Anderson, which was then one of the country’s largest manufacturers of headlights and taillights …

Poor Condition of Wreckage Will Slow Plane Crash Probe

The lack of a distress call and flight data recorder coupled with mangled and charred wreckage will make finding the cause of a fiery airplane crash in Louisiana extremely challenging, federal officials said Sunday. National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman …

Uber, Postmates Sue California to Block Gig-Worker Law

Uber Technologies Inc. and Postmates Inc. sued the state of California, alleging that a labor rights law set to go into effect this week is unconstitutional. The lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court is a preemptive strike against …

Technology’s Promise and Drawbacks Among Top Claims Stories for 2019

Technology — both its promise and its alleged abuse — was a key component of the most important news stories for claims professionals in 2019. Several insurers introduced new technical innovations to their claims processes during the year. At the …

Court Finds Diet Dr Pepper Does Not Deceive Consumers

A U.S. federal appeals court on Monday said the maker of Diet Dr Pepper did not deceive consumers into thinking the soft drink promoted weight loss by including “diet” in its name, a decision that could doom a similar lawsuit …

Another Kentucky Farmer Admits Crop Insurance Fraud

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Another Central Kentucky farmer has pleaded guilty in a crop insurance fraud scheme that a federal prosecutor has called “pervasive and severe” in that region. Daniel Arvin pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 in federal court in Lexington …

Wawa Facing Lawsuits Over Data Breach at All of its Stores

PHILADELPHIA — The Wawa convenience store chain is facing a wave of lawsuits over a data breach that affected its 850 locations along the East Coast. Wawa Inc. discovered malware on its payment processing servers this month before stopping the …