West News

ExxonMobil Loses Bid to Truck Millions of Gallons of Crude Oil Through Central California

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — ExxonMobil lost a court bid Wednesday to truck millions of gallons of crude oil through central California — a crucial part of its efforts to restart offshore oil wells that were shut in 2015 after …

Wildfires Can Make Your California Red Taste Like an Ashtray. These Scientists Want to Stop that

ALPINE, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America`s wine, but the region is also prone to wildfires — a combustible combination that spelled disaster for the industry in 2020 and one that scientists are scrambling …

Pilot Error, Training Issues Were Factors in Alaska Crash that Killed Czech Billionaire, Report Says

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The probable cause of a heli-skiing crash in Alaska in 2021 that killed a Czech billionaire and four others was a failure by the pilot to adequately respond to whiteout conditions, a federal accident report released …

How Did the Maui Fire Spread so Quickly? Overgrown Gully, Stubborn Embers May Be Key

Melted remains of an old car tire. Heavily burned trees. A charred stump of an abandoned utility pole. Investigators are examining these and other pieces of evidence as they seek to solve the mystery of last month’s deadly Maui wildfire: …

Wildfire-Prone California to Consider New Rules for Property Insurance Pricing

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will let insurance companies consider climate change when setting their prices, the state`s chief regulator announced Thursday, a move aimed at preventing insurers from fleeing the state over fears of massive losses from wildfires and …

Hawaii Economists Say Lahaina Locals Could Be Priced Out of Rebuilt Town

HONOLULU (AP) — Residents who survived the wildfire that leveled the Hawaii town of Lahaina might not be able to afford to live there after it is rebuilt unless officials alter the zoning laws and make other changes, economists warned …

9th Circuit Overturns Jury Verdict in Favor of Defense in Fatal Tour Bus Crash

A federal appellate court on Friday overturned a take-nothing jury verdict in favor of a tour bus company whose driver was accused of causing a deadly head-on collision on an Arizona highway. In a 2-1 decision, a panel of the …

MGM Resorts Computers Back Up After 10 Days as Analysts Eye Effects

LAS VEGAS (AP) — MGM Resorts brought to an end a 10-day computer shutdown prompted by efforts to shield from a cyberattack data including hotel reservations and credit card processing, the casino giant said Wednesday, as analysts and academics measured …

Arizona Appellate Court Upholds Death Benefits for Widow of Worker Killed by COVID

The widow of an Arizona worker who died after contracting COVID-19 from a co-worker suffered a workplace “accident” that is compensable under the state’s workers’ compensation law, a panel of the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. In a 3-0 …

Berkshire Shows Unusual Risk Appetite in Wildfire Court Fight

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co.’s PacifiCorp has been battered in an unprecedented court fight over the utility’s failure to prevent massive wildfire destruction in Oregon. The largest grid operator in the western US faces the risk that it will have to …

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