Patricia Wells

The Texas Senate moved quickly on Monday, passing a string of bills that follow Gov. Greg Abbott’s priorities for the state’s second special legislative session of the year. The session kicked off with a strong focus on flooding issues, especially in response to the deadly flash floods that struck Central Texas over the July 4 … Read more

Brighty the Burro, a heavy bronze statue that once welcomed visitors to the Grand Canyon Lodge on the park’s North Rim, has survived a devastating wildfire but not without damage. The 600-pound sculpture lost an ear and its front legs, yet its head and body remain mostly intact after the fire reduced the nearly 100-year-old … Read more

The US is on track for a record-breaking corn harvest this year, according to government forecasts. However, some troubling images shared on social media are causing concern among farmers and buyers. These photos show corn plants with missing kernels, a problem caused by a condition called “tight tassel wrap,” which leads to uneven pollination. “Tight … Read more

The U.S. government is taking big steps to stop flesh-eating maggots from crossing into the country and harming the cattle industry. A new $750 million factory will be built in southern Texas, near the town of Edinburg, to breed billions of sterile flies. These flies will be released into the wild to reduce the population … Read more

A judge in California has ruled that Tesla must face a class-action lawsuit from drivers who say the company and its CEO, Elon Musk, misled them about the self-driving abilities of Tesla’s vehicles. The lawsuit covers people who bought Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, claiming the company exaggerated what its technology could actually do. U.S. … Read more

A healthcare facility in North Ridgeville, Ohio, has agreed to pay $5,000 and take steps to address a recent race discrimination complaint. Progressive North Ridgeville, LLC reached this settlement after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) looked into a claim that the company had fired an employee because of her race. The EEOC’s investigation … Read more

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has completed its purchase of AssuredPartners, a major U.S. insurance brokerage firm. This move broadens Gallagher’s reach in the middle-market property and casualty insurance and employee benefits sectors across the country. The deal, originally announced in December, was valued at $13.45 billion in cash. After accounting for a deferred tax … Read more

Swiss Re has claimed the top spot among the world’s largest reinsurers for 2024, thanks to its switch to the IFRS 17 accounting standard. This shift has caused a significant reshuffle among leading reinsurers, according to a recent report by AM Best. Until recently, Swiss Re reported under the older GAAP standards. With the move … Read more

Residents of Juneau, Alaska, faced another round of flooding this year from the Mendenhall Glacier, a problem that has become an annual challenge. Fortunately, a large temporary wall of reinforced sandbags helped keep the worst of the floodwaters at bay, a relief compared to the severe damage seen in recent years. The flooding happens because … Read more

Accenture is set to buy Australian cybersecurity company CyberCX in what will be its largest deal in the cybersecurity sector. The Australian Financial Review estimates the purchase price to be over A$1 billion, which is about $650 million US dollars. The move comes amid a rise in major cyberattacks in Australia. Big companies like Optus … Read more