RALEIGH, N.C. — The state of North Carolina says it has secured an agreement with Duke Energy to excavate nearly 80 million tons (72.5 million metric tons) of coal ash at six facilities. The Department of Environmental Quality said in … Source: Claims Journal

HOUSTON — On the east side of Houston, the white plumes of the Texas oil and chemical refineries are a constant backdrop for residents of the Manchester neighborhood. Late at night or early in the morning when plants burn off … Source: Claims Journal

VICTOR, N.Y. — The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the … Source: Claims Journal

At least 42 people have died from the New Year’s Day flooding in Indonesia, and hundreds of thousands were evacuated, as the greater Jakarta area suffered the most intense rain in 24 years. More than 400,000 people, mostly from Bekasi, … Source: Claims Journal

A salacious three-year legal battle involving a former partner at Sequoia Capital, a onetime exotic dancer and a promised $40 million hush money payment has come to an end. A California Superior Court judge ruled in favor of venture capitalist … Source: Claims Journal

An insurance policy purchased by Axia Contracting from Praetorian Insurance Co. required a six-foot chain link fence to completely surround the job site. That is a standard term for all policies underwritten by QBE North America, according to its lawyers. … Source: Claims Journal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s levees need to be strengthened and repaired, especially in rural areas hit hard by prolonged flooding in 2019, according to an advisory group appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. St. Louis Public Radio reported that the … Source: Claims Journal

As massive wildfires devastate swathes of Australia and supercharge the debate over the impact of climate change, government data show the nation has never suffered a hotter or drier year than 2019. The average temperature last year was about 1.5 … Source: Claims Journal

SAN FRANCISCO — A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation’s largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the … Source: Claims Journal

MADISON, Wis. — Some Wisconsin fire departments have stopped using firefighting foam that contains a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to increased cholesterol and cancer risk, among other health hazards. The Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contaminate Wisconsin’s … Source: Claims Journal