Declarations

Critical 911 Access

“We understand the importance of having critical access to 911. We’ve resolved this matter and are committed to keeping our customers connected in times they need it most.”

— An AT&T spokesperson said after the company agreed to pay $950,000 for failing to deliver 911 calls to emergency call centers and not notifying officials during an August 2023 outage. The outage, which occurred during the testing of portions of AT&T’s 911 network, impacted calls in parts of Illinois, Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin. AT&T had failed to deliver 911 calls and to timely notify 911 call centers, a Federal Communications Commission investigation found.

Coney Island Cyclone

“At Luna Park in Coney Island, safety is our number one priority and ride maintenance, and thorough testing happens daily before Luna Park opens and throughout the day as necessary. … The Coney Island Cyclone is a 97-year-old roller coaster that is meticulously maintained and tested daily.”

— Reads a statement issued by Luna Park in New York City after its Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster was shut down indefinitely after coming to a stop mid-ride. The wooden roller coaster was on an ascent in late August when it was taken out of service due to a damaged chain sprocket in the motor room. Several people were removed from the Cyclone without injury.

Sports Marketing

“We find sports marketing benefits Shelter and our Agents because the events attract great audiences. … It’s also an opportunity to support student-athletes through the partnership. We got our start as a company in Missouri and it’s still our largest state in terms of number of agents and the number of people we insure.”

— Shelter Insurance President and CEO Rockne Corbin said in a statement about the display of its logo on the 25-yard-line of University of Missouri’s Faurot Field during the Tigers football team’s season opener. A revised NCAA rule allows sponsorships directly on a football field. Equipment Share, another Missouri-based company, also sponsored a 25-yard-line logo.

‘AI Fakes Don’t Care’

“AI fakes don’t care if you’re famous. … AI frauds and deep fakes affect everyone.”

— Said country singer Josh Abbott during a Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee hearing on the use of artificial intelligence. Abbott said he’s concerned AI could be used to replicate his voice and generate new songs that get distributed on Spotify. During a nearly four-hour hearing, the committee heard a wide range of concerns about the potential risks of AI, including the spread of misinformation, biased decision-making and violations of consumer privacy.

Lyft, State Farm Lawsuit

“Because State Farm has not met its burden of proving that Lyft is exempt from the Georgia Motor Carrier Act’s definition of motor carrier, it was proper for Barnes to directly name State Farm in her lawsuit.”

— Reads the opinion of the Georgia Court of Appeals third division, which found the ride sharing service Lyft is considered a motor carrier under the wording of a 2015 statute. The decision gives the go-ahead to Aundray Barnes, who was injured in a collision with a Lyft driver, to sue the driver’s insurance company, State Farm Fire and Casualty Co.

Wildfire Impact

“Our results suggest that property values have been more adversely impacted in recent years by being close to past wildfires than was the case previously.”

— Economists Leila Bengali, Fernanda Nechio and Stephanie Stewart wrote in a paper published on the website of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Bloomberg reported. The study found California’s wildfires are weighing on home prices more than in the past, and insurance availability does little to help in areas considered to be at higher risk. It warned that the pattern may grow “if residential construction continues to expand into areas with higher fire risk and if trends in wildfire severity continue.”