National News

Insurance, Economy, Tariffs Weigh on Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway Inc on Saturday said its quarterly operating profit fell more than analysts expected, as weakness in insurance underwriting, a slowing economy and trade woes weighed on the conglomerate run by billionaire Warren Buffett. Berkshire’s auto insurer Geico suffered …

Porn Purveyors’ Use of Copyright Lawsuits Has Judges Seeing Red

Pornography producers and sellers account for the lion’s share of copyright-infringement lawsuits in the U.S. — and judges may have seen enough. The courts are cracking down on porn vendors that file thousands of lawsuits against people for downloading and …

AI and Bionic Eyes Are Helping to Keep Wildfires Contained

On a tower in the Brazilian rain forest, a sentinel scans the horizon for the first signs of fire. Only these eyes aren’t human. They don’t blink or take breaks, and guided by artificial intelligence they can tell the difference …

Viewpoint: 11th Circuit Holds No Obligation to Defend Against DOJ Antitrust Investigation

On July 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in Crowley Maritime Corp. v. Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA held that, because Crowley Maritime Corp. failed to provide timely notice of a claim, National …

NIOSH: Robots that Work Alongside Humans Bring New Safety Hazards

The increasing use of robots that work alongside humans brings new occupational safety hazards, but there’s not much data available on how to mitigate risks. The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries added to the body of knowledge this …

Alleged CapitalOne Hacker Barely Bothered to Hide

SEATTLE — The 33-year-old former Amazon software engineer accused of hacking CapitalOne made little attempt to hide her attack. In fact, she effectively publicized it. It’s one of many riddles swirling around Paige Thompson, who goes by the online handle …

Expert Wins Settlement in Whistleblower Case against Cisco

BOSTON — A computer security expert won a rare payout in a whistleblower lawsuit he filed against Cisco Systems Inc. almost a decade ago, after he reported critical security flaws in Cisco video surveillance software used at major U.S. international …

ViewPoint: Why Artificial Intelligence is Critical to True Claims Automation

Once thought of as highly traditional and reluctant to change, insurers today are rethinking everything. The rise of digital-first carriers, with an ethos borrowed from their ecommerce and ebanking cousins, has generated an intense interest from incumbent carriers to focus …

Businesses Learn Hard Lessons When not Prepared for Disaster

NEW YORK — When Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, Carlos Melendez couldn’t contact the staffers or customers of his San Juan-based technology firm, Wovenware. Melendez learned a lesson that would help his business during the next storm, …

As Sea Levels Rise, Homes Continue to Sprout in U.S. Flood Zones

NEW YORK — New homes are going up fastest in high-flood risk areas in many U.S. coastal states, scientists said on Wednesday, despite increasing awareness that global warming has made living in such areas even more risky. Science and communication …

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