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Safety Probe Warns California Dam Crisis a ‘Wake-up Call’

“Long-term and systemic failures” by California dam managers and regulators to recognize inherent construction and design flaws at the tallest U.S. dam caused last year’s near-disaster there, an independent panel of dam safety experts said Friday, calling it a wake-up …

History and Enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering Laws in the U.S.

Recent headlines have been teeming with money laundering stories, as journalists and hackers reveal ever more sophisticated money laundering schemes, and law enforcement officials issue high-profile arrest warrants and criminal indictments. Meanwhile, over the past half century, the definition of …

Louisiana Paid $1.3M to Settle Sexual Harassment Claims Since 2009

Louisiana has paid at least $1.3 million to settle more than two dozen sexual harassment claims since mid-2009, including allegations made against college professors, judges, health care workers and one former state lawmaker, according to records released Friday. The money …

Updates Expected to South Florida Maritime Charts After Irma

When Hurricane Irma rolled across the Florida Keys this fall, it wasn’t just the motels and marinas, Tom Thumbs, stilt houses and shell shacks strung along the island chain that got slammed. A handwritten sign of encouragement to the Florida …

Texas DOI Reports Top 10 Insurance Fraud Cases of 2017

In 2017, Texas Department of Insurance fraud investigations resulted in 135 suspects referred for prosecution, 113 indictments, and $2.3 million in court-ordered restitution for victims. Those cases included: Gainesville clinic owner Mark Allen Cox pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and …

Feds to End Policy That Let Legal Pot Flourish

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is rescinding the Obama-era policy that had paved the way for legalized marijuana to flourish in states across the country, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. Sessions will instead let federal …

NTSB: Speed Control System Could Have Prevented Amtrak Crash

The derailment of an Amtrak passenger train in Washington state last month that killed three people may have been prevented if a railway crash-avoidance technology mandated by Congress had been activated, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Positive Train …

California Says Wildfires Are Making Home Insurance Unaffordable

More frequent and intense wildfires are making it harder for homeowners to find and keep insurance in California, a state regulator warned Thursday. “The problem of insurance availability is going to expand” after last year’s record-breaking wildfires, California Insurance Commissioner …

Hyundai, Aurora Plans to Release Autonomous Cars by 2021

Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday it will begin selling its first self-driving vehicles by 2021 in partnership with U.S. based self-driving technology startup Aurora Innovation Inc. Within in three years, Hyundai and Aurora will bring autonomous vehicles to markets that …

Weather Term ‘Bomb Cyclone” Blows Up on Social Media

When it comes to weather, it’s hard to sound scarier than “bomb cyclone.” It’s a version of a real weather term that applies to a massive winter storm that pulled together Wednesday off the U.S. Southeast coast. But as fearsome …

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