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Politician Who Warned About Driving Drunk is Charged With it

VICTOR, N.Y. — The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the …

Hundreds of Thousands Flee as Flooding in Jakarta Kills 42

At least 42 people have died from the New Year’s Day flooding in Indonesia, and hundreds of thousands were evacuated, as the greater Jakarta area suffered the most intense rain in 24 years. More than 400,000 people, mostly from Bekasi, …

Former Sequoia Partner Wins Extortion Suit Against Ex-Mistress

A salacious three-year legal battle involving a former partner at Sequoia Capital, a onetime exotic dancer and a promised $40 million hush money payment has come to an end. A California Superior Court judge ruled in favor of venture capitalist …

10th Circuit: Missing Fence Didn’t Void Builders’ Risk Policy

An insurance policy purchased by Axia Contracting from Praetorian Insurance Co. required a six-foot chain link fence to completely surround the job site. That is a standard term for all policies underwritten by QBE North America, according to its lawyers. …

Advisory Group Urges Better Flood Protection in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s levees need to be strengthened and repaired, especially in rural areas hit hard by prolonged flooding in 2019, according to an advisory group appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. St. Louis Public Radio reported that the …

As Wildfires Rage, Australia’s Never Been So Hot and Dry

As massive wildfires devastate swathes of Australia and supercharge the debate over the impact of climate change, government data show the nation has never suffered a hotter or drier year than 2019. The average temperature last year was about 1.5 …

Financial Tug-of-War Emerges over Fire Victims’ Settlement

SAN FRANCISCO — A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation’s largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the …

Wisconsin Fire Agencies Ditch Hazardous Firefighting Foam

MADISON, Wis. — Some Wisconsin fire departments have stopped using firefighting foam that contains a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to increased cholesterol and cancer risk, among other health hazards. The Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contaminate Wisconsin’s …

Feds Will Investigate Deadly Tesla Crash in California

GARDENA, Calif. — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the crash of a speeding Tesla that killed two people in a Los Angeles suburb, the agency announced Tuesday. Agency spokesman Sean Rushton wouldn’t say whether the Tesla Model …

Tests Raise Alarms Over Fuel Blends Coming for Ocean-Going Vessels

HOUSTON — As a global clean-fuel mandate takes effect Jan. 1, testing companies examining newer, low-sulfur marine blends acquired in Antwerp, Belgium; Houston and Singapore have found sediment at levels that could damage the engines of ocean-going vessels. Routine tests …

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