Author: completebodyneeds

The Trump Administration is pushing for a 90-day ban on diesel exports intended to rapidly lower climbing fuel prices for consumers, a proposal that, if enacted, will hurt the constellation of Texas refineries in the Gulf Coast and deal a blow to the state’s economy, industry leaders said. Politico first reported the news of the ban. Texas refineries turn millions of barrels of crude oil into diesel and jet fuel daily for several industries, such as agriculture and aviation. They also sell the product abroad. Texas contributes about a third of the nation’s diesel, processing about 6.3 million barrels a…

Wisconsin workers’ compensation rates will decrease by approximately 2% over the coming year, making the 11th straight year the state has seen premiums decline. The rate decrease, which went into effect October 1, saves an estimated $36 million for policies, according to an announcement from the Department of Workforce Development and the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI). Worker’s compensation insurance rates are adjusted annually by a committee of actuaries from members of the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau (WCRB). The actual premiums vary by employer based on factors such as injury risk exposure. DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek credited…

The merger of Idaho-based Gem State Insurance as a subsidiary under Ohio Mutual Insurance Group’s mutual holding company structure has been completed, effective Oct. 1, the company announced. The organization plans to add new products and additional benefits to members in the Idaho market to round out the product lines previously offered by Gem State. Products will continue to be marketed under the Gem State Insurance name, and will soon feature updated visual branding. The boards of directors for both organizations voted in April to approve the transaction, and the merger was approved by Gem State policyholders in July. As…

Metal mixtures found in the leftover smoke, ash and debris from the deadly 2023 Maui wildfires were harmful to the lung health of people living nearby long after the burning ended, a new study says. The work shows that major wildfires, which are worsening with the planet’s warming, could have lasting effects beyond immediate exposure. Related: Maui Fire Lawsuit Payouts Are Near, but Few Will Break Even Post-wildfire air quality needs to be monitored longer term, the research suggests, and recovery efforts need to consider what might remain in contaminated soot, residue and dirt well after burning stops. The wildfires,…

As they passed legislation to end New Hampshire’s vehicle inspection program last year, state lawmakers made a gamble. Ending the inspections would mean ending annual emissions testing, violating New Hampshire’s decades-long approach to comply with the Clean Air Act. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had not granted New Hampshire permission to withdraw from those legal obligations. By repealing inspections, the state was risking lawsuits and federal enforcement, Department of Environmental Services Commissioner Robert Scott warned lawmakers then. Republican lawmakers, citing public support for ending inspections, pushed ahead and passed the repeal anyway. A year later, that gamble appears to…

Lyft will pay $272.5 million to settle allegations it misclassified California drivers as independent contractors. Of the settlement with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, 87% will go directly to drivers. More than 1,600 drivers who filed wage claims through LCO’s administrative process will receive additional funds as a result of the LCO redirecting its share of the penalties ($5.45 million) payable to the state. Additionally, wage claimants will receive a multiplier that doubles the mileage used to calculate their payment, according to the LCO. Related: Ride-Hailing Policies in New Jersey Must Provide PIP Benefits for Injured Pedestrians The LCO sued…

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is weighing a new campus in Texas that would add tens of billions of dollars in new investment to the company’s multiyear expansion into chipmaking in the US. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc. is looking into further overseas facilities to help handle unrelenting demand for artificial intelligence hardware, according to people familiar with its plans. TSMC has already committed to spending $265 billion at an expansive site in Arizona, where it’s developing several fabrication plants, and the envisioned Texas investment would also involve multiple fabs, one of the people said. Business from…

Ricky Albano Buffalo, New York-based insurance agency Lawley hired three new insurance advisors: Ricky Albano in New York, Nicolas DeLuca in New Jersey, and Marco Rumbin in Connecticut. Albano brings 20 years of industry experience as an insurance producer, account executive, and business owner, advising individuals and businesses on auto, home and commercial insurance. Nicholas DeLuca DeLuca specializes in business insurance, workers’ compensation, and specialty coverage, helping clients develop programs that reduce risk and support their long-term business goals. Before joining Lawley, he worked in client service in the electrical distribution industry. Marco Rumbin With more than five years of…

A Lowell, Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court in Boston for his involvement in payroll tax avoidance and workers’ compensation insurance fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. Henry Lam was sentenced to 13 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Lam was also ordered to pay $1,652,573 in restitution. Lam was arrested in July 2025, following his June 2025 indictment, and pleaded guilty to failure to collect and pay over taxes and mail fraud in May 2026. According to prosecutors, between 2016 and 2023, Lam owned and operated HL Temporary Services –…

Thousands of homes and businesses in Southern California have been warned of the potential for power cuts in the coming days as a heat wave boosts wildfire risk throughout the region. With triple-digit temperatures expected this weekend, Edison International’s Southern California utility said it is mulling preventive power shutoffs Friday and Saturday for 9,990 customers in Riverside County, south of San Bernardino National Forest. Sempra’s San Diego Gas & Electric Co. has also flagged potential shutoffs for more than 35,000 customers in “at-risk communities” near mountain foothills. Related: Southern California Edison Chief Warns Wildfire Impasse Risks Higher Customer Bills Falling…