Monthly Archives: <span>June 2021</span>

Justice Dept. Sues to Stop Aon’s Purchase of Willis Towers Watson

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday aimed at stopping insurance broker Aon’s $30 billion acquisition of Willis Towers Watson because it would reduce competition and could lead to higher prices. The deal would combine the …

Texas Girds for Blackouts as Heat Wave Rolls On

Texas is pushing homes and businesses to conserve electricity for a second day in a row to stave off blackouts as a punishing heat wave bakes the western U.S. Temperatures will top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) from Montana …

Sri Lanka Seeks UN help in Assessing Damage From Ship Fire

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ Sri Lanka’s government is seeking help from the United Nations and other countries in assessing the environmental damage caused by a fire on a container ship carrying chemicals that is sinking off its capital, officials …

Arizona Legislature to Hold Special Wildfire Funding Session

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Legislature will convene in special session this week to consider adding $100 million in funding for fighting wildfires and to boost the amount of money available to clear hazardous brush and deal with the damage …

Feds Inspected Illinois Chemical Plant Weeks Before Blast

A northern Illinois chemical plant that was rocked by an explosion and massive fires that prompted evacuations was inspected by a federal agency less than a month before the blast sent debris raining down onto nearby areas. Inspectors from the …

Ikea Fined $1.3 Million Over Spying Campaign in France

VERSAILLES, France (AP) — A French court ordered home furnishings giant Ikea to pay some 1.1 million euros ($1.3 million) in fines and damages Tuesday over a campaign to spy on union representatives, employees and some unhappy customers in France. …

Critical Entities Targeted in Suspected Chinese Cyber Spying

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A cyberespionage campaign blamed on China was more sweeping than previously known, with suspected state-backed hackers exploiting a device meant to boost internet security to penetrate the computers of critical U.S. entities. The hack of Pulse …

Anglo American Exposed Coal Miners to Excessive Risk, Inquiry Finds

MELBOURNE — An Australian inquiry into a blast at an Anglo American coal mine in Queensland state that seriously injured five workers found that the miner repeatedly produced more methane gas than it could remove and had exposed workers to …

Centene Reserves $1.1 Billion for Pharmacy Disputes

Centene Corp. agreed to pay settlements to Ohio and Mississippi to resolve claims that it inflated pharmacy costs, and the health insurer reserved $1.1 billion to resolve similar claims in other states. Centene, the country’s largest seller of Medicaid health …

Chemical Fire Draws Illinois National Guard; Locals Evacuate

A massive fire at a chemical plant in northern Illinois spurred the governor to deploy the National Guard to the area as local residents were evacuated. No injuries have been reported. The industrial fire broke out early Monday morning at …