California Wildfire Insurance Claims Top $3.3B

Property damage claims from a series of deadly October wildfires now exceed $3.3 billion, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Tuesday. The figure represented claims for homes and businesses insured by 15 companies and was more than triple the previous estimate of $1 billion. Jones said the number would continue …

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Pruitt to Put New Members on EPA Science Panels

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday he intends to replace the outside experts that advise him on science and public health issues with new board members holding more diverse views.   In announcing the changes, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt suggested many previously appointed to the panels were …

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Mexico GDP Shrinks Amid NAFTA Uncertainty, Disasters

Mexico announced Tuesday that its economy shrank 0.2 percent in the third quarter compared with the previous period amid uncertainty related to renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement and local slowdowns caused by natural disasters.   Alfredo Coutino, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics, said the contraction came …

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Water Up! Re-Think Your Drink

The suburbs of Washington are the setting for a pilot project to promote healthier eating habits, a partnership between leaders of the Latino community there and researchers at George Washington University. The “Water up Project” encourages the community to drink more water and reduce their consumption of sugary beverages. Faiza …

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Malawi Kung Fu Movie Generates Online Buzz

The southern African country of Malawi may not be what comes to mind when you think of kung fu movies. But four young acrobats in its capital, Lilongwe, are out to change that. The trailer for their first locally produced action flick, The Town Monger, has been generating buzz online …

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UK Police Widen Investigation Into Harvey Weinstein

British media are reporting that police have widened their investigation into sexual assault claims against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.   Citing unidentified sources, the Independent newspaper, Press Association and Sky News say London’s Metropolitan Police are now investigating allegations by seven women over incidents that reportedly took place from …

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Vietnam Tech Startups Seek Next Phase

There’s a short but not-so-simple question facing Vietnam’s technology startup fans: Now, what? The communist country was not immune to the startup craze that swept the globe, but much of the early period was spent talking about tech and all the local potential. In what could be called the next …

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