National News

Apparent Decline in Overdose Deaths Reverses Long-Running Trend

NEW YORK — U.S. overdose deaths last year likely fell for the first time in nearly three decades, preliminary numbers suggest. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday posted data showing nearly 68,000 drug overdose deaths were reported …

Heat Wave Broils Eastern, Central U.S., Utilities Poised for Demand

NEW YORK — A massive heat wave that has enveloped the U.S. Midwest pushed into the Northeast on Friday, ushering in temperatures that could top 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Washington, D.C., and leading utilities to take steps to prevent power …

Trump EPA Allows Use of Controversial Pesticide

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday said it will not ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to health issues in children, from use on U.S.-grown fruits and vegetables. The agency denied the petition by a …

Cellphones a Flight Danger? Could Be on Some Boeing Jets

U.S. government officials in 2014 revealed an alarming safety issue: Passenger mobile phones and other types of radio signals could pose a crash threat to some models of Boeing 737 and 777 airplanes. More than 1,300 jets registered in the …

Government Data Shows How Drugmakers, Distributors Spread Opioids Across America

Newly released federal data shows how drugmakers and distributors increased shipments of opioid painkillers across the U.S. as the nation’s addiction crisis accelerated from 2006 to 2012. The data, released this week by a federal court in Ohio as part …

U.S. Again Delays Remote Drone Tracking Guidance

The Federal Aviation Administration has again delayed plans to propose new rules requiring the remote identification of drones, according to records and a member of Congress on Wednesday. Congress directed the FAA in 2016 to issue regulations or guidance by …

Feinberg to Administer $50 Million Boeing 737 Crash Victims’ Fund

Boeing Co. said on Wednesday it will dedicate half of a $100 million fund it created after two crashes of its 737 MAX planes to provide payments to families of those killed, with veteran U.S. compensation expert Ken Feinberg hired …

Nursing Home Risks Heightened by Staffing Fluctuations

Researchers who discovered large daily staffing fluctuations, low weekend staffing and daily staffing levels that often fall well below the expectations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) say the situation can increase the risk of adverse events …

Google Attacked Over Limits on Internet Company Liability

U.S. senators used a Congressional hearing on Tuesday to push the idea of overhauling a law that protects YouTube, Facebook and other internet services from being sued for the content users post. The Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing, led by Senator …

Lessons from Fintech Applied to Insurtech

I’ve seen this story before. Having worked in fintech since 2005, I witnessed the fintech wave forming, cresting, and eventually crashing into the financial ecosystem. If there is a fraternal twin to banking, it’s the insurance industry. Both industries are …

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