24 12, 2025

Waymo to Update Software Across Fleet After Major Power Failure

By | December 24th, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Waymo to Update Software Across Fleet After Major Power Failure

Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo said it would strengthen its automated software to better handle power outages after its self-driving taxis froze and caused traffic jams during a major electricity failure last weekend in San Francisco. The Waymo Driver system is programmed …

23 12, 2025

‘Door Knocker’ Roofers Were Everywhere. NC Farm Bureau Saw an Opportunity

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on ‘Door Knocker’ Roofers Were Everywhere. NC Farm Bureau Saw an Opportunity

It began with “door knockers” – the all-too-familiar practice of roofing companies telling homeowners that they could get a new roof with little or no out-of-pocket expense. North Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance, the second-largest property insurer in the state with …

23 12, 2025

Cat Bonds Linked to Wildfires Lose ‘Once Untouchable’ Status

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Cat Bonds Linked to Wildfires Lose ‘Once Untouchable’ Status

Alternative investment managers are starting to take a serious interest in catastrophe bonds tied to wildfires, moving into a risk category that just a few years ago was seen as too difficult to model. More than $5 billion of cat …

23 12, 2025

Hawaii Building Fires Are on the Rise and Safety Inspections Aren’t Keeping Up

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Hawaii Building Fires Are on the Rise and Safety Inspections Aren’t Keeping Up

Regular inspections of hotels and other accommodations required by the state of Hawaii are being inconsistently carried out by most county fire departments. Three people died in two structure fires in Hilo on Hawaii island in October and November in …

23 12, 2025

New York Times Reporter Sues Google, xAI, OpenAI Over Chatbot Training

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on New York Times Reporter Sues Google, xAI, OpenAI Over Chatbot Training

An investigative reporter best known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos sued Elon Musk’s xAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, Meta Platforms and Perplexity on Monday for using copyrighted books without permission to train their artificial intelligence systems. New …

23 12, 2025

J&J Talc Jury Awards $1.56 Billion to Asbestos Cancer Victim

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on J&J Talc Jury Awards $1.56 Billion to Asbestos Cancer Victim

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay about $1.56 billion to a Maryland woman who blamed the company’s talc-based baby powder for causing her asbestos-linked cancer, the largest such jury verdict for an individual in 15 years of litigation. Jurors …

23 12, 2025

AM Best Places Jet Insurance Ratings Under Review Following Acquisition

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on AM Best Places Jet Insurance Ratings Under Review Following Acquisition

AM Best has placed under review with developing implications the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Jet Insurance Company, following the close of the acquisition of Jet by Amherst Specialty …

23 12, 2025

Markets/Coverages: Mosaic Raises Cyber Capacity to US$25M in Canadian Market

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Markets/Coverages: Mosaic Raises Cyber Capacity to US$25M in Canadian Market

Mosaic Insurance will increase its cyber-risk capacity to US$25 million/C$40 million per risk in Canada, effective January 1, 2026, allowing the specialty insurer to meet rising demand across all provinces and territories. The increase more than doubles Mosaic’s previous limit …

23 12, 2025

California Luxury Carwash Settles Wage Theft Case for $1.2M

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on California Luxury Carwash Settles Wage Theft Case for $1.2M

A luxury carwash in Southern California must pay a a $1.2 million settlement for wage theft and labor law violations. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office secured the settlement with Newport Auto Spa Inc., doing business as The Car Spa, a …

23 12, 2025

AI Data Centers Are Forcing Dirty ‘Peaker’ Power Plants Back Into Service

By | December 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|Comments Off on AI Data Centers Are Forcing Dirty ‘Peaker’ Power Plants Back Into Service

In Chicago’s working-class Pilsen neighborhood, a 60s-era oil-fired power plant rises up from an industrial lot behind Dvorak Park, which in warmer weather is packed with children climbing on its colorful playground and zooming down slides. The rarely-used eight-unit Fisk …