Denver, Rockies Face Power Shutoffs as Winds Boost Fire Risk

Xcel Energy is preparing customers in the Rocky Mountain region for preemptive blackouts to help reduce the risk of wildfires as strong, dry winds threaten to knock down power lines. The utility said it would likely shut off power starting at about noon Wednesday to some customers in nine counties including Denver, according to the … Read more

Leonardo Denies Liability for Helicopter Crash That Killed Leicester City Owner

Italy’s Leonardo has denied liability for the 2018 helicopter crash which killed Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, saying in its defense to a lawsuit that its AW169 model is safe. The family of Srivaddhanaprabha, who founded duty-free retailer King Power and owned English soccer club Leicester City, are suing Leonardo for up to 2.15 billion pounds … Read more

State Insurance Legislators ‘Greatly Disturbed’ by Trump AI Regulation Order

The National Council of Insurance Legislators have come out against President Donald Trump’s executive order last week, seen as a hinderance to state regulation of artificial intelligence. NCOIL officers in a statement on Dec. 15 said they are “greatly disturbed” with the executive order that “aims to limit the ability of states to regulate artificial … Read more

Jury Orders Johnson & Johnson to Pay $40M to Two Women in Latest Talc Trial

A California jury on Friday awarded $40 million to two women who said Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ.N baby powder was to blame for their ovarian cancer. The jury in Los Angeles Superior Court awarded $18 million to Monica Kent and $22 million to Deborah Schultz and her husband after finding that Johnson & Johnson knew … Read more

State Farm Files for Auto Rate Decrease, Homeowners Rate Increase in Louisiana

More than one million State Fam auto insurance policyholders in Louisiana should see a decrease in premiums in 2026, as Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple approved the carrier’s request for a 5.9% average rate decrease. State Farm is the largest personal auto insurer in Louisiana, covering approximately 30% of the market. The rate decrease, which goes … Read more

Washington Faces Historic Floods That Have Washed Away Homes And Stranded Families

Days of torrential rain in Washington state caused historic floods that have stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that even more flooding expected Friday could be catastrophic. Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens … Read more

Rise of AI Impacts Grand Rapids Region, Companies Face Talent and Market Challenges

West Michigan remains a leader in job and population growth across Michigan, but there are signs momentum has slowed amid staffing challenges, tariffs and the rise of artificial intelligence. Forty-six percent of Grand Rapids-area companies said in 2025 they were planning to expand, down from 52% the year before, according to data presented last week … Read more

Missouri Attorney General Charges Carpenter for Fraud

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced that her Office has filed felony charges against Jeffrey Griffin, operating as Griffin Quality Construction in Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, for allegedly defrauding consumers by accepting payments for staircase repair service that he never completed. Griffin faces four counts of Deceptive Business Practices and four counts of Stealing … Read more

Black Lung Benefits Denied; Discrimination Claim Against UPS Shot Down by Court

A federal appeals court, one step below the U.S. Supreme Court, handed down two rulings in favor of employers and insurers, one involving black lung and one regarding a black delivery driver. In Keith McKnight vs. United Parcel Service, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found that a lower court did not abuse its … Read more

Man Sentenced for Flashing Three Insurance Agencies in Georgia

A man convicted of flashing workers at three insurance agencies in Warner Robins, Georgia, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Demarcus Tyrell Mann, 30, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in October, after he was arrested for public indecency in 2024. Mann reportedly walked into three different insurance agencies in the central Georgia city, … Read more