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Man Accused of Starting California Wildfire by Throwing Firework out Car Window

A 26-year-old man has been accused of igniting a destructive California wildfire in early July by throwing a firework from a car window during hot, dry and windy weather. Spencer Grant Anderson, of Oroville, was charged this week after weeks …

Cleanup Progresses After Spill of Firefighting Foam at Former Navy Base

Firefighting foam in a hangar at Brunswick Executive Airport has been been removed, and mitigation is underway on four retention ponds following Maine’s biggest accidental spill of the fire suppressant on record, officials said Monday. The Maine Center for Disease …

Ford Joins Harley in Scaling Back DEI Policies Amid Backlash

Ford Motor Co. told employees it would modify its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and end participation in a notable ranking by an LGBTQ advocacy group, joining a series of companies including Lowe’s Cos. and Harley-Davidson Inc. in curtailing some …

Oklahoma Bulletin Addresses Upcoming Legislative Changes

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready addressed upcoming legislative changes in an Aug. 26 bulletin to insurers. The legislative changes, which go in effect on Nov. 1, include updates to contact information, due diligence search and delivery and storage of electronic …

AM Best Revises Outlook to Negative for Ohio’s Buckeye State Mutual

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb-” (Good) of Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliate, Home and Farm …

Lyft is a Motor Carrier and State Farm Can Be Sued Directly, Georgia Court Says

Georgia lawmakers this year put an end to direct-action lawsuits against trucking companies’ insurers, but that did not come soon enough to bar litigation brought by people involved in accidents with ride-sharing services. The Georgia Court of Appeals this week …

Red Sea Insurance Nearly Doubles After Attacked Oil Tanker Appears to Be Leaking Oil

The cost of insurance for ships sailing through the Red Sea has nearly doubled after Yemen’s Houthis attacked a tanker that appears to be leaking oil, with environmental fears growing for the trade route, industry sources said on Wednesday. Iran-aligned …

Texas Lawmakers Consider Regulations to Address Risks of Artificial Intelligence

A group of state lawmakers began wading through the complex world of artificial intelligence Tuesday, providing an early glimpse at how Texas may seek to regulate the booming technology. During a nearly four-hour hearing, the Texas Senate Business and Commerce …

TikTok Must Face Lawsuit Over 10-Year-Old Girl’s Death, Appeals Court Rules

A U.S. appeals court has revived a lawsuit against TikTok by the mother of a 10-year-old girl who died after taking part in a viral “blackout challenge” in which users of the social media platform were dared to choke themselves …

Robots Are Starting (Good) Fires in California

Cody Chiverton has spent the past decade lighting fires. As a former firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, he participated in dozens of prescribed burns across the American West, in which fire-prevention teams would carry drip torches to ignite dry …

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