Author: completebodyneeds

The North Carolina Court of Appeals last week reinforced long-debated exceptions to the exclusive remedy of the workers’ compensation system in two high-profile cases that could prove costly for employers and insurers. In the first case, from Charlotte, the appeals court judges found that a worker injured by his boss’ repeated punches to his head and neck can sue for negligence, even if injury was not intended. In the second, from Rowan County, a worker sent by a staffing agency can file a tort suit against a concrete company if the labor agreement did not specify that the concrete firm…

Data center developers have started touting new technologies that slash the amount of water needed to cool hot-running servers in drought-stressed places like Arizona. Those efforts, though, are not addressing the vast majority of the water consumed by the AI buildout. Miles away from multiplying data centers, power plants are now consuming enormous volumes of water to generate the electricity required to run artificial intelligence, including those more efficient cooling systems. New research indicates that such indirect water consumption is rapidly growing. In a recent paper, University of Michigan researchers estimated water used offsite would boost the total annual consumption…

Lots of trees and fences down, some roof damage to homes, businesses and vehicles, and flooding and tornadoes in parts of western North Carolina. But overall, the insured losses from Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall in the Florida Panhandle Friday night, are shaping up to be less than feared—and about one-tenth as costly as 2018’s Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that hit east of where Isaias came ashore. Michael cost insurers about $9 billion in Florida claims in 2018, or about $12 billion in today’s dollars. “So, about a tenth of that would make Isaias a billion-dollar storm,” said…

A friend of the suspected thief of a massive cache of personal data from the FBI says he begged the teenager not to do it. Adem El Adeb, 19, told Reuters that he tried to convince Saif al-Din Khader last month that breaking into the FBI would bring the weight of the US government down on his shoulders but that Khader would not be swayed. “You’re suicidal,” El Adeb recalled telling Khader in an early September message exchange. He said he told the teen he was “crazy” and that he should drop the idea. “Not only once. Multiple times. I…

Farmers, truckers and economists say a move to cut taxes on diesel will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices that have soared since the U.S. attacked Iran months ago. Industry groups said they appreciate President Donald Trump’s executive order expanding the use of a diesel now reserved for off-road work, but farmers already have access to the fuel and many have already wrapped up harvest. Truckers will struggle to navigate differing state rules. “In the context of diesel prices that are over two dollars more than they were last year, it just doesn’t come close to closing that wound,”…

They’re piled on river banks, lodged in uprooted trees, embedded in sediment and jammed under logs. Many are tangled in mounds of debris up to two stories high. Two years after Hurricane Helene leveled forests, bulldozed houses and filled western North Carolina rivers with everything from cars to refrigerators, the work of cleaning up the debris goes on. Along the iconic French Broad River, known for its whitewater rapids, one item stands out from the rest: massive numbers of PVC pipes that washed away from a factory north of Asheville. As Hurricane Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season,…

Homeowners insurance rates are beginning to come down in Texas, according to the most recent data from the state insurance department. Since the start of July, insurance companies have filed an average 4.3% rate decrease on homeowners policies. ASI Lloyds, a Progressive company, filed a 6% rate decrease impacting 71,000 policyholders, and Texas Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company filed a 5.2% rate decrease, impacting 133,000 policyholders. Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford said the department is “pleased to see some relief beginning to reach the market.” “As rates moderate, Texans should take advantage of the competitive market, shop around, and make sure…

Benson Enterprises, Inc., the operator of automotive dealerships including Ingram Park Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in San Antonio, will pay $430,000 and furnish other relief to settle a sex-based harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, from January to June 2021, a male manager for Ingram Park Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram created and maintained a hostile work environment by subjecting a female fleet service advisor to frequent and offensive sexist comments about her and other women, such as statements that women were ignorant, lazy or…

Isaias suddenly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane Friday morning and remained on course to hit the Pensacola-Panhandle area of Florida with more than six feet of storm surge, strong winds and as much as 15 inches of rainfall. “Just-received data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Isaias has strengthened to a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts,” the National Hurricane Center said in update early Friday morning. Click to enlarge map. The storm, the first hurricane of the unusually quiet 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to…

Amica Insurance announced a program that provides policyholders with access to a smart water leak detection monitoring service. Under a partnership with technology firm Flume, Amica home policyholders in three states can enroll to receive a no-cost Flume Smart Home Water Monitor. The system can be installed on a home’s existing water meter in just minutes and requires no plumbing modifications. Along with the sensor, Amica said it will provide three years of leak monitoring service from Flume. “By offering this service to our policyholders, we’re providing a simple, proactive way to identify potential water problems early,” said Amica President…