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Vermont Man Maintains Innocence in Relatives’ Mysterious Deaths

A Vermont man denied in court papers Wednesday allegations that he killed his millionaire grandfather in 2013 and claims he doesn’t know the whereabouts of his mother who disappeared after a boat they were on sank off Rhode Island. Nathan …

Fighting Wildfires at Christmas May Become Normal in California

A week of destructive fires in Southern California is ending but danger still looms. Well into what’s considered the wet season, there’s been nary a drop of rain. That’s good for sun-seeking tourists, but could spell more disaster for a …

Houston Residents Might Have to Raise Homes After Harvey

More than 1,600 Houston residents whose properties flooded during and after Hurricane Harvey may need to elevate their homes if they want to continue living there. The city’s Public Works Department is getting ready to notify property owners in floodplains …

Can Better Policies Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment?

Sexual misconduct happens at work not because companies don’t publish anti-harassment policies, experts say, but because managers don’t enforce them – and because people fail to apply them to themselves. While the floodgates on reporting abuse and sexual harassment have …

Owners of $3 Million Bugatti Get House Calls When a Recall is Needed

Bugatti Automobiles SAS makes some of the world’s most exclusive cars, yet even owners of the $2.99 million Chiron supercar aren’t immune from the nuisance of an occasional recall. But the French manufacturer does what it can to soften the …

Failure to Keep IME Doctor Updated Can Foreclose Application of Genuine Dispute Doctrine for MSJ Purposes

California courts have adopted the Genuine Dispute Doctrine. Chateau Chamberay Homeowners Assn v. Associated Internat. Ins. Co., (2001) 90 Cal. App. 4th 335, 347, 108 Cal. Rptr. 2d 776 (“[A]n insurer denying or delaying the payment of policy benefits due …

Done Right Value Engineering Offers Benefits

Sometimes revered, at times sneered, value engineering (VE) can provide benefits to various projects when done right, according to industry experts. VE began at General Electric during World War II, according to Quebec-based McGill University. Shortages of skilled labor, raw …

Indians, Twins to Extend Safety Netting at Ballparks in 2018

The Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins are the latest Major League Baseball teams to announce plans to expand safety netting at their ballparks for the 2018 season. The Indians will extend the current vertical netting behind home plate down the …

Florida’s Citizens to Raise Rates

Florida homeowners who insure their property through a state-created insurance company will see an average 6.6 percent increase in their multi-peril coverage next year, regulators announced Wednesday. But thanks to Hurricane Irma, the increase will be pushed back three months …

California Wind, Fire Danger Hits Unprecedented High

Southern California has felt yellow wind, orange wind, and red wind. But never purple wind. Until now. The color-coded system showing the expected strength of the winds driving the region’s fierce wildfires has reached uncharted territory, pushing past red, which …

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