National News

House OKs Stopgap Funding for Government, Flood Insurance Until Nov. 21; Senate Action Awaited

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives last week passed a continuing resolution to extend federal government funding through Nov. 21 and avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month. The bipartisan vote of 301-123 saw three Democrats vote no …

PMA, Orchid Medical, Athens Group, Ametros, Hancock Make Appointments

PMA Appoints Claims Leader for the Southeast PMA Companies Insurance Group has appointed Sabrina Mitchell as claims assistant vice president for its Southeast Region. Mitchell reports to Ray DiCello, senior vice president and chief claims officer for PMA, which is …

Shady Adjuster and Alleged Fake Racist Attack Top Fraud Roundup

SoCal Adjuster Jailed for Embezzlement A former licensed public adjuster from Huntington Beach, Calif., was sentenced to 180 days in county jail and five years of felony probation after pleading guilty to three felony counts of embezzlement and one felony …

Once Hacked, Twice Shy: How Auto Supplier Harman Learned to Fight Cyber Carjackers

LAS VEGAS — When researchers remotely hacked a Jeep Cherokee in 2015, slowing it to a crawl in the middle of a U.S. highway, the portal the hackers used was an infotainment system made by supplier Harman International. Harman, now …

Purdue Opioid Deal May Be Worth Less Than Drugmaker Promised

Purdue Pharma LP’s deal to escape thousands of lawsuits over its role in the U.S. opioid crisis may provide less than half the $10 billion that the closely held drugmaker projected in its Chapter 11 filing, said three people familiar …

Private Climate Firms Say They’re Helping. Scientists Worry They’re Not

As central banks and financial institutions come to terms with climate risks, they are increasingly seeking data and analysis from private providers that “may be operating outside the bounds of scientific merit,” according to Jesse Keenan, a climate risk and …

America’s Great Climate Exodus Is Starting in the Florida Keys

Lori Rittel is stuck in her Florida Keys home, living in the wreckage left by Hurricane Irma two years ago, unable to rebuild or repair. Now her best hope for escape is to sell the little white bungalow to the …

As Storms Threaten, Geospatial Intelligence Team Keeps Aircraft at the Ready

The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Center has been challenging the ground rules for an insurance industry organization that dispatches pilots to take aerial photographs immediately after natural disasters. Usually, the Geospatial Intelligence Center doesn’t deploy aircraft or staff unless a Category …

Residents Seek Backup Power as Storms, Fires Cause Blackouts

NEW YORK — Climate change has led to deadlier wildfire seasons in the American West and more severe hurricanes and storms barreling up the Southern and Eastern coasts. The dramatic weather frequently knocks out power, leading some residents of storm-ridden …

Tesla Model 3 Wins Top-Tier Safety Award from Insurance Group

Tesla Inc.’s Model 3 earned a coveted Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, after the sedan performed better in a crash test than the Model S. The Model 3 earned “good” crash ratings in each …

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