As many as eight hurricanes may form in the Atlantic in 2019, a “near normal” season following two years of storms that have left a trail of death and destruction in the Caribbean and U.S. coast. Nine to 15 named … Source: Claims Journal

The Senate passed a $19.1 billion disaster-aid plan Thursday for areas hit by hurricanes, Midwest floods and California wildfires after lawmakers resolved months of disagreement over funds for Puerto Rico. President Donald Trump said he supports the bill. The 85-8 … Source: Claims Journal

Determining who foots the bill for America’s growing opioid epidemic may depend on how well the state of Oklahoma deploys a high-risk legal strategy next week against Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. At least 42 states and … Source: Claims Journal

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. received approval Wednesday to establish a $105 million fund to help survivors of recent California wildfires started by the utility’s equipment. A federal judge overseeing PG&E’s bankruptcy case approved the utility’s wildfire assistance program to … Source: Claims Journal

When the price of physician services increases relative to group health rates, injured workers report fewer problems getting the care they want but no significant improvement in physical function or speedier return to work, according to a study released Thursday … Source: Claims Journal

JPMorgan Chase & Co has cut ties with Purdue Pharma LP over the OxyContin maker’s alleged role in the U.S. opioid crisis, forcing it to find a new bank to manage cash and bill payments, people familiar with the matter … Source: Claims Journal

U.S. forecasters expect the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season beginning June 1 to be near average in the number and intensity of storms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday. The forecasters estimate between two and … Source: Claims Journal

A relentless barrage of violent weather in the central United States left three people dead on Thursday, local media said, as tornadoes raked across southwest Missouri and devastated the state capital, and heavy rain flooded rivers in Oklahoma. The reported … Source: Claims Journal

A major barrier that keeps the Mississippi River in its current path may be opened for just the third time in its history, potentially flooding a large part of rural Louisiana and affecting refineries in the region. Rising river levels … Source: Claims Journal

Since its creation more than six decades ago, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has cemented a reputation as the arbiter of flight safety, with regulators around the world routinely adopting its approvals. In the wake of two deadly incidents with … Source: Claims Journal