BOSTON — A federal appeals court on Wednesday appeared skeptical of arguments that Harvard discriminates against Asian-American applicants, a claim made in a closely-watched lawsuit challenging the use of race as a factor in U.S. college admissions. Members of a … Source: Claims Journal

MOLALLA, Ore. — Nicole West steered her bulldozer through the smoldering forest, pushing logs into the underbrush and away from the wildfires ripping through Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Her border collie, Oink, rode shotgun as West and a volunteer crew raced … Source: Claims Journal

WASHINGTON — Three senior Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday asked government auditors to study why U.S. auto safety regulators have failed to write dozens of new auto safety regulations. The delayed rules include rear belt warnings, … Source: Claims Journal

PORTLAND, Ore. — Dangerously dirty air spewing from the West Coast wildfires is seeping into homes and businesses, sneaking into cars through air conditioning vents and preventing people already shut away by the coronavirus pandemic from enjoying a walk or … Source: Claims Journal

Justin Silvera came off the fire lines in Northern California after a grueling 36 straight days battling wildfires and evacuating residents ahead of the flames. Before that, he and his crew had worked for 20 days, followed by a three-day … Source: Claims Journal

Tropical Storm Sally unleashed “historic” flooding across Florida and Alabama, where it made landfall earlier Wednesday, and will likely cause as much as $8 billion in losses and damages even as its winds weaken. Rain is falling by the foot … Source: Claims Journal

NEW YORK — The parent of Dunkin’ Donuts on Tuesday agreed to upgrade its security protocols and pay $650,000 in fines and costs to settle a lawsuit by New York’s attorney general claiming it ignored cyberattacks that compromised the online … Source: Claims Journal

Moody’s Investor Service said Wednesday that wildfires in the U.S. West have caused $5 billion to $8 billion in insured losses so far — an amount that would make it the third-worst year for fire damage in U.S. history. The … Source: Claims Journal

WASHINGTON — Two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed all 346 passengers and crew aboard were the “horrific culmination” of failures by the planemaker and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a U.S. House panel concluded after an 18-month investigation. The crashes … Source: Claims Journal

For the past four months, United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Boeing Co. have been flying around jetliners loaded with mannequins, aerosol sprays, sensors and scientists in an effort to understand how contaminated air moves through passenger planes. The research is … Source: Claims Journal