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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 …

North Carolina Schools Reach $10M Insurance Claims Settlement for Tornado Damage

More than a year after a tornado struck, a North Carolina school system says it’s reached a $10 million settlement with its insurance company for damage to three schools. The News & Record of Greensboro reports that officials with Guilford …

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 …

Disney World Denies Union’s Claim That Fire Department Is Understaffed

Firefighters for Walt Disney World’s private government say they’re understaffed and that poses a safety risk as the Florida theme park resort grows even bigger with this year’s openings of a new Star Wars land and air gondolas. “We just …

Thanks to Drones, French Wine Tastes Better

The sun is shining over a vineyard in the Fronton region of southwestern France, where wine-growing began in Roman times. The only sound is the buzzing of a distant tractor. That’s about to be disrupted by a flying robot. Nikola …

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. …

University Study Backs More Controlled Burns in West for Managing Wildfire Risks

Land management agencies are underutilizing controlled burns to reduce wildfire threats in the western U.S., according to a wildfire study. The University of Idaho study indicates the use of the intentionally set fires has decreased over the last two decades …

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, …

Coffee Won’t Need Cancer Warning in California After All

California coffee lovers can indulge their caffeine habit without worry now that the state has decided the beverage doesn’t need a cancer warning after all. That conclusion by a state regulator comes eight years after dozens of coffee roasters and …

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