Author: completebodyneeds

Texas can continue enforcing a law requiring app marketplace operators like Google and Apple to verify all users’ ages after the U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to intervene. Senate Bill 2420, which was supposed to take effect Jan. 1, establishes age verification requirements and mandates parental consent before a person under age 18 is allowed to download apps or make in-app purchases. The law also requires app developers to say whether their apps are appropriate for people in four categories: children under 13, teens age 13-15, older teens age 16-17, or adults 18 and older. The law was initially blocked…

Oklahoma’s attorney general sued Allstate Corp., alleging the insurer schemed to minimize payouts to homeowners for wind and hailstorm damage in order to boost its profits. The state’s top lawyer, Gentner Drummond, alleges that Allstate implemented an internal program to drastically deny or minimize payments of legitimate covered losses, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court in Cleveland. “This lawsuit is about protecting Oklahoma homeowners and holding insurance companies accountable when they fail to honor the promises they make to policyholders,” Drummond said in a statement. “Consumers pay their premiums expecting their insurance company to be there when…

Temperatures are set to rise across Los Angeles and parts of the southwestern U.S. later this week. Extreme heat is already settling across Southern California and Arizona as readings threaten to reach 116F (47C) across the region, including in Palm Springs and Phoenix through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. A heat advisory will also take effect Thursday across parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles and Burbank, the agency said. Temperatures in downtown Los Angeles are forecast to peak around 87F Thursday, while Burbank may reach 92F. Meanwhile, New York City’s Central Park will see 74F Tuesday with…

Lulu Gribbin was 15 when she survived a shark attack off the coast of Florida. She lost her left hand, part of her right leg and almost her life. What she didn’t know when she entered the water on that day in 2024 was that another woman had been bitten by a shark 90 minutes earlier and just 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) down the beach. Had she known about the earlier attack, there is no way she would have been swimming, she said. Gribbin’s story has inspired new federal legislation to authorize emergency alerts to mobile phones to warn beachgoers…

Home fortifications, from roof tie-downs to window protections, have been recognized as key factors in reducing losses, claims and premiums in hurricane-prone states like Florida. But relying on the incentive of premium discounts is not enough to prompt widespread adoption of mitigation measures, especially for low- and moderate-income households, according to a new study that examined more than 20 years of data from Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. “Our findings underscore that rising insurance premiums can increase adaptation, but only if paired with policies that target financial constraints for low-income and low-wealth households,” the study concluded. Premium discounts for mitigation,…

A group of Ugandan farmers will on Tuesday file a lawsuit in the UK High Court against the East African nation’s $5.6 billion crude pipeline, potentially delaying long-awaited exports due to begin later this year. The petition says the 1,450-kilometer (900-mile) East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline will impact water sources, wildlife and biodiversity, heightening concerns over climate change, according to an emailed statement issued by the claimants’ lawyers. The four farmers are asking the British court to apply Ugandan climate, environmental and constitutional law to EACOP Ltd., the UK-registered firm developing, building and operating the pipeline. The company is jointly…

Iran told the United Nations’ shipping agency that it has authority over parts of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that’s a centerpiece of peace talks between Washington and Tehran. “Parts of the Strait of Hormuz fall within the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the country said in a document submitted to the International Maritime Organization, the UN agency charged with overseeing shipping. “Under the international law of the sea, a coastal State exercises sovereignty, jurisdiction and sovereign authority over its territorial sea.” Iran’s efforts to control Hormuz, and ultimately charge fees for ships that cross it,…

Sequel Insurance Agencies, powered by SIAA, a leading independent insurance agency platform and perpetuation partner for entrepreneurial agencies, announced its acquisition of Watkins Insurance Group including five office locations across Austin and Central Texas. This transaction marks another strategic milestone in Sequel’s continued growth and strengthens its presence in Austin and the Texas market, incorporating Watkins Insurance Group’s exceptional reputation for delivering personalized insurance and risk management solutions. Watkins will maintain his CEO role alongside the entire management team and the organization’s workforce of more than 160 colleagues. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Texas Agencies Was this article valuable? Yes No…

A nearly $1 billion takeover by a defense supplier that Pentagon officials previously faulted for overcharging the military may serve as the latest test of how light a touch the US Justice Department is willing to take on corporate mergers. Staff at the Justice Department’s antitrust division have prepared a lawsuit challenging aerospace company TransDigm Group Inc.’s planned $960 million acquisition of Stellant Systems Inc., announced in late December, according to people familiar with the matter. Justice Department leadership, however, hasn’t signed off on a suit, said the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss a confidential situation. DOJ officials…

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on July 7 approved a $46.75 million settlement for victims of a 2023 data breach at the genetic testing company 23andMe, which exposed genetic and other personal information of an estimated 6.9 million customers. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh in St. Louis said the settlement was fair and equitable, and in the best interest of a trust overseen by the company’s bankruptcy administrator. The settlement will be reduced by $14.29 million previously disbursed in connection with the breach, making the total additional payout $32.46 million. Related: Claimants of 23andMe Data Breach to Get $46.75M in Settlement…