Author: completebodyneeds

The city of Baltimore suffered a defeat in its efforts to address the opioid epidemic last week when the Maryland Supreme Court vacated a $152 million public nuisance verdict won by the city against drug distributors McKesson and AmerisourceBergen. The state’s high court erased the verdict and returned the case to the Baltimore City Circuit Court, ordering that court to follow the high court’s March 2026 opinion (Express Scripts, Inc., et al. v. Anne Arundel County) in which it answered “no” to the question of whether the actions of drug distributors can constitute an actionable public nuisance, which was the…

A former ransomware negotiator has pleaded guilty to charges he helped a ransomware group extort tens of millions of dollars from companies. Angelo Martino, 41, of Land O’Lakes, Florida, worked for a cyber incident response company as a ransomware negotiator but used his position to provide operators of the Blackcat/ALPHV ransomware variant with confidential information regarding victims in order to maximize ransom payments, said the U.S. Department of Justice. “Ransomware victims turned to this defendant for help, and he sold them out from the inside,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. In exchange…

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more. Jack Russell Terriers are spirited, fearless little athletes, but their boundless energy and genetic predispositions make them prone to certain health issues. From patellar luxation and eye diseases to dental concerns and skin allergies, Jack Russells can rack up vet bills that surprise even the most prepared pet parents. That’s where pet insurance becomes a wise investment. A well-chosen plan helps offset the cost of diagnosing and treating these conditions, allowing you to focus on your dog’s care instead…

Home insurance is becoming unaffordable for a growing number of Australian households as increased climate threats drive up their premiums, potentially putting billions of dollars in mortgage loans at risk, a report said on Monday. As of March 2024, 15% of Australian households were experiencing home insurance affordability stress, which is defined as having premiums that cost more than four weeks’ of their incomes, the report from the Actuaries Institute found. That is equivalent to 1.61 million households, compared to 1.24 million found to be facing affordability stress a year ago – an increase of 30%. Rising insurance costs have…

Eight years after South Carolina lawmakers forced a $1 million liquor liability insurance requirement on bars and restaurants, and one year after they tweaked the law with conditional coverage requirements, the state Senate is trying again. Senators voted last week to amend a state appropriations bill and suspend the million-dollar coverage requirement until June 30, 2027, according to news reports and legislative tracking services. The South Carolina House of Representatives, where the budget bill originated, must ratify the change before it can become law, a vote that is far from certain. Xiao Bao Biscuit restaurant in Charleston (Adobe) The 2018…

India’s Acko Insurance is targeting a valuation of between $2 billion and $2.5 billion in its planned initial public offering and is eyeing a listing in early 2027, two people familiar with the matter said. Backed by investors including General Atlantic, Accel, Amazon.com and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Acko provides insurance products including motor, health and travel insurance. Acko has appointed Morgan Stanley, ICICI Securities and Kotak Mahindra Capital as the bankers to manage the proposed listing, the sources said, requesting anonymity as they are not authorized to talk to media. The insurer could seek to raise…

The chief of Europe’s securities regulator said the risks from and potential speed of cyberattacks are growing, joining a chorus of warnings from financial supervisors on the threats posed by artificial intelligence models that are evolving quickly. Geopolitical tensions have increased cybersecurity risks and the regulator has been contacting financial entities it supervises to assess their cybersecurity defenses in light of recent developments in AI, Verena Ross, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority, said in an interview in Paris. “We are closely watching how bringing AI models into this could increase the potential speed with which such attacks…

Joby Aviation Inc. is planning to fly electric air taxis between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan this week to show off its quieter, zero-emission aircraft in a city weary of noise pollution. The demonstration flights will be New York’s first point-to-point trips of an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, or eVTOL, according to Joby, which staged a test flight from the downtown heliport in 2023. This week, the aircraft will fly along existing helicopter routes operated by Blade Urban Air Mobility, a division of Joby, and will have pilots but no passengers. The trips are part of…

Patriot Growth Insurance Services, headquartered in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, hired Andrew Drayer as regional president, Northeast. He succeeds Bill Donato, who previously held this role and now serves as president of retail insurance. Drayer brings experience across commercial insurance, operations, …

The Midwest is bracing for severe weather on Monday, including the threat of the excessive rainfall, hail damaging wind gusts and tornadoes. Missouri, Illinois and Indiana face the greatest risk of severe storms. Scattered large hail, flooding, severe and damaging winds, and strong to intense tornadoes could develop across the region, the National Weather Service said. “Storms will intensify Monday afternoon and continue into the night, increasing the risk across a heavily populated part of the region,” said Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist. “The St. Louis area is in the heart of the zone facing the greatest potential for strong, long-track…