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

Spanish Island Volcano Eruption Hits Local Record of 85 Days

MADRID (AP)–A volcanic eruption in Spain’s Canary Islands shows no sign of ending after 85 days, becoming the island of La Palma’s longest eruption on record Sunday. The eruption has surged and ebbed since it first began spewing lava on …

‘The Internet’s on Fire’ as Techs Race to Fix Software Flaw

BOSTON (AP)–A critical vulnerability in a widely used software tool –one quickly exploited in the online game Minecraft–is rapidly emerging as a major threat to organizations around the world. “The internet’s on fire right now,” said Adam Meyers, senior vice …

Woman Charged With Stealing $300K From California Retailers

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP)–A woman has been charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing more than $300,000 in merchandise from retail stores in California. Ekaterina Zharkova, 38, was arrested last month after an investigator with the California Highway Patrol’s Organized …

Father, Son Charged With Starting Wildfire Plead Not Guilty

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP)–A father and son charged with starting a massive California wildfire that destroyed many homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Lake Tahoe communities earlier this year pleaded not guilty in court Friday. The El …

Crews Search For the Missing After Devastating Tornadoes

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP)–Rescuers in an increasingly bleak search picked through the tornado-splintered ruins of homes and businesses Sunday, including a candle factory that was bustling with night-shift employees when it was flattened, as Kentucky’s governor warned the state’s death toll …

Wells Media Group Transitions Ownership to Its Employees

Wells Media Group, Inc announced that it has become a 100% employee-owned firm via the launch of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Wells Media, the publisher of Insurance Journal, Carrier Management and Claims Journal and other news and insights …

7th Circuit Affirms Dismissal of 4 COVID-19 Business-Interruption Lawsuits

In four separate decisions, a panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals joined four other federal appellate courts in ruling that SARS-CoV-2 does not cause a direct physical loss or damage that triggers coverage under a commercial insurance policy. …

VW to Pay $3.5 Million to Resolve Illinois Diesel Lawsuit

WASHINGTON –Volkswagen AG’s U.S. unit will pay $3.5 million to resolve a lawsuit by the state of Illinois against the German automaker for updates of emissions software arising from the 2015 diesel cheating scandal. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court …

Robotaxi Race Opens Up as Top Contender Waymo in Low Gear in Arizona

CHANDLER, Ariz.–Alphabet Inc’s Waymo risks losing its lead in the U.S. race to prove robotaxis are a viable business as it sticks to a limited service and rivals backed by automakers near their own launches. Companies including Ford Motor Co’s …

Fla. Supreme Rules ‘Hybrid’ Reimbursement Model OK For PIP Claims

Automobile insurance carriers in Florida may limit reimbursement to health providers in keeping with a fee schedule in a personal injury protection policy, the Florida Supreme Court decided in a decision posted today. “We agree with the Second District Court …