Monthly Archives: <span>May 2020</span>

Israel Thwarts Major Cyber Attack Against Its Water Systems

Israel’s national cyber chief Thursday officially acknowledged the country had thwarted a major cyber attack last month against its water systems, an assault widely attributed to arch-enemy Iran, calling it a “synchronized and organized attack” aimed at disrupting key national …

Google Urges EU to Use Current Laws, Not New Ones, to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

Google has called on the European Union to use current EU laws to govern the use of artificial intelligence rather than draft new ones and cautioned against a one size fits all regulatory framework because of AI’s diverse applications. The …

Mississippi Governor Says Reopening Plan has ‘Freedom with Risk’

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that he will allow all types of businesses to reopen Monday but they must follow safety guidelines to try to minimize spread of the new coronavirus. “This does not mean the threat is gone,” …

Survey: Florida Residents More Concerned for Hurricane Season Amid Pandemic

As Florida gets ready to officially start hurricane season, a new survey shows a majority of residents are more concerned for this year’s potential storms than in previous years, given the simultaneous continuing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. According …

Texas Windstorm Insurer Outlines Funding for 2020 Hurricane Season

The board of directors of Texas’ property insurer of last resort for wind and hail in the state’s coastal counties in February set a goal of $4.2 billion in catastrophe funding for 2020. At a meeting of the Texas Windstorm …

2 Companies Fined $1M Each Over Kansas Chemical Leak

Two companies that caused a chlorine gas leak over Atchison, Kansas, in 2106 have each been fined $1 million for violating federal clean air laws. Harcros Chemicals Inc., and MGP Ingredients Inc., had pleaded guilty to negligently violating the Clean …

WSS Hires Easley as Sr. Broker/Underwriter in Texas

WSS, a member of XPT Group, a specialty insurance distribution company, has added Meghan Easley as senior broker/underwriter in its Plano, Texas, office. Easley brings 15 years of industry experience, most recently in underwriting and brokerage business. She has extensive …

South Dakota Property Owners Sue Over Recently Exposed Mine, Sinkhole

Residents of a Black Hawk, South Dakota, neighborhood where a sinkhole has exposed an abandoned mine endangering their properties have filed a $75.5 million lawsuit claiming government entities and private developers were negligent. Attorney John Fitzgerald is representing more than …

Governor Orders Probe of Failed Michigan Dams

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered an investigation to determine what caused two dams in central Michigan to fail, leading to devastating floods in several communities and forcing about 11,000 people to evacuate their homes. Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of …

University in Utah, Parents Didn’t Settle Lawsuit Over Slain Student

The University of Utah did not reach a settlement after two of mediation with the parents of slain track star Lauren McCluskey who filed a $56 million lawsuit over her death in 2018. The McCluskeys’ attorney Jim McConkie described the …