Archive for April 2016

The owners of nearly half a million polluting Volkswagens in the U.S. will have the option of selling them back to the company or getting them repaired at VW’s expense, under a deal announced Thursday by a federal judge. The … Source: Claims Journal

The city of Bellevue, Neb., the Metropolitan Utilities District, a plumbing contractor and its insurance company disagree about who’s to blame for a ruptured water line that flooded about 12 homes in February. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Gearhart Plumbing, … Source: Claims Journal

Thanks to an arcane state law, Florida could enter hurricane season with no one firmly in charge of the state agency responsible for regulating the state’s at-times fragile insurance industry. The reason? The two Republican elected officials responsible for picking … Source: Claims Journal

Workplace deaths in Washington declined to a near-historic low in 2015, according to a new Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) report. Last year there were 58 work-related deaths in the state — 18 fewer than in 2014. L&I data … Source: Claims Journal

Researchers in Nebraska tested a new tool on Friday that could eventually help in fighting grass fires – drones. A team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln flew an unmanned aircraft over the prairie at the Homestead National Monument of America … Source: Claims Journal

It’s been two months since a blown-out natural gas well was capped and officials spoke of thousands of uprooted families returning to their normal lives. But nearly half of the 8,000 families who left home at some point have yet … Source: Claims Journal

It was a bad week for German automakers. Volkswagen said Friday that a diesel emissions-cheating scandal would cost it an astounding $18.2 billion just for 2015, while Daimler revealed that U.S. authorities are sniffing around its tailpipes. Both companies saw … Source: Claims Journal

Law enforcement agencies in Minnesota are warning of a rise in seizures of a potent marijuana concentrate. Authorities say marijuana wax has a stronger concentration of THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient. The substance comes in the form of powders, oils and … Source: Claims Journal

Authorities say flooding that’s claimed eight lives and displaced thousands of people in the Houston area has caused more than $14 million in damage and inundated more than 1,700 homes. They said Friday the damage figures from unincorporated areas of … Source: Claims Journal

Fiat Chrysler said Friday it’s recalling more than 1.1 million cars and midsize SUVs worldwide because drivers can’t tell if they’ve put the vehicles in park. The confusion can increase the risk of a rollaway accident. The recall covers the … Source: Claims Journal