National News

Legacy Carriers Embracing Tech with ‘Human Touch’

CHICAGO — The digital transformation of the insurance industry isn’t just for insurtech startups any more. At Allstate, 60 percent of claims are now filed with a cell phone application that allows policyholders to take photos of the damage, Chief …

Role of Occupational Hazards in Lung Diseases Is Under-Recognized: Researchers

More than 1 in 10 people with a range of non-cancerous lung diseases may be sick as a result of inhaling vapors, gas, dust or fumes at work, according to a joint American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society …

Boeing 737 Should Never Fly Again, Says Consumer Watchdog Nader

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said the larger engines mounted to the Boeing 737 Max represented a design flaw and called for the plane to be permanently grounded. The 737 Max “must never fly again,” Nader said. “It’s not a matter …

Privacy Exclusion Protects Insurer from $60 Million Class Action

A federal judge in Florida has ruled that a policy exclusion for invasion of privacy claims relieved an insurer of any responsibility for a $60 million settlement against a Boca Raton company for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. …

Mounting Climate Change Fears Push Investors to Assess Geographical Risks

NEW YORK — With an above-average percentage of its power generated from renewable sources and one of the largest battery storage operations in the United States, utility Sempra Energy seemed to check all the boxes for portfolio manager Todd Ahlsten, …

Storm Tracking Could Be a Casualty of 5G

Satellites tracking water vapor in 2012 helped scientists accurately predict Superstorm Sandy’s frightening turn toward New York and New Jersey where it killed dozens of people and inflicted billions of dollars in damage. But now scientists are warning that their …

Blackbeard’s Ship Embarks for Supreme Court in Video Piracy Case

WASHINGTON — The nine black-robed justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will soon navigate the treacherous legal waters around a sailing ship made famous in the 18th century by the notorious English pirate known as Blackbeard. The court on Monday …

Congress Passes $19 Billion in Disaster Aid, Sends Bill to Trump

The House cleared a $19 billion disaster-aid plan for areas hit by hurricanes, Midwest floods and California wildfires on Monday after months of negotiations and a final delay of more than a week caused by Republican objections. The bill, passed …

Facebook Must Proceed With Privacy Breach Suit, Judge Rules

Facebook Inc. must defend itself in a District of Columbia lawsuit accusing the social network of failing to safeguard users’ personal data and allowing a U.K. political consulting firm to mine the information for the benefit of Donald Trump’s 2016 …

Roost Gathering Data as it Awaits Insurance Industry Transformation

For years, insurance industry observers have been predicting that home telematics products would transform the insurance industry by forcing carriers to take on the role of damage preventer instead of just claims payer. Insurers are still experimenting. But one company …

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