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Farmers to end home, auto coverage in Florida, pull back in California over natural disaster costs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

(The Hill) - Farmers Insurance will end its home, auto and umbrella coverage in Florida and curtail coverage offerings in California due to ongoing risks from environmental disaster, the insurer announced Tuesday.In a statement shared with The Hill, Farmers confirmed it will discontinue those forms of coverage in the Sunshine State, saying “this business decision was necessary to effectively manage risk exposure.” The insurer will also curtail new homeowners' insurance policies in California, due to “record-breaking inflation, severe weather events, and reconstruction costs,” Farmers said.A spokesperson for Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) told The Hill that it is reviewing the notice, but added that it was marked as trade secret, restricting how much the office can discuss it. In the meantime, the spokesperson pointed to a state law that requires all insurers to give the OIR 90 days’ notice before discontinuing lines of insurance in Florida. Customers are entitled to ...

Regulators probe complaints that Ford Escape doors can open while being driven

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the doors on some Ford Escapes can open while the SUVs are being driven.The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers 346,000 Escapes from the 2020 and 2021 model years.The agency says in documents posted Tuesday on its website that it has 118 complaints that spot welds in a door assembly bracket can fail. Investigators contacted some of the owners and found 25 reports of minor injuries. Honda recalls nearly 1.2M vehicles Many reported a popping noise when they opened the door as a bracket begins to separate. The agency says continued use could dislodge the door, and it could fail to latch when closed.Ford says it's working with the agency to support the investigation.NHTSA says the probe will determine whether the problem creates an unreasonable risk to highway safety. The agency could seek a recall.

Deadly auto-pedestrian crash shuts down I-35 southbound in far north Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Travis County Sheriff's deputies shut down the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 in far-north Austin after a person was hit by a vehicle early Wednesday morning.TCSO tweeted the crash was in the southbound lanes of the interstate just south of the Grand Avenue Parkway exit. According to the Department of Public Safety, a person was hit and killed in the area. REAL TIME TRAFFIC UPDATES Southbound drivers are being asked to take the Grand Avenue exit and re-enter the interstate at the entrance ramp south of Howard Lane. Authorities did not give a time on when the highway would reopen. The Department of Public Safety will investigate the crash. This is a breaking story. Stay with KXAN.com and KXAN News Today for the latest traffic information.

Rain-free and dangerously hot weather continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As we suffer through our third hottest start to July on record, unfortunately, no change in pattern looks to bring relief anytime soon.Heat alerts have been expanded and extended through Thursday 9 p.m. An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect for most of the area due to temperatures hovering near 105° and heat index values up to 114°. A Heat Advisory is in effect for Gillespie and Blanco County for temperatures near 103°.Heat alerts remain in place through 9 p.m. ThursdayCentral Texas will remain on the eastern side of a strong ridge of high pressure, currently centered over the Desert Southwest. This feature will allow the ridiculously hot temperatures and high humidity to continue through the weekend (and beyond).There is no measurable rain expected in Central Texas over the next 1-2 weeks. NEW BLOG: How this summer’s heat compares to last year in Austin Summer Fan DriveOur Summer Fan Drive is underway! Please click here to find out how you can make an online don...

Safety improvements planned for Bluff Springs Road

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin is planning to make safety and mobility improvements to Bluff Springs road, one of the highest crash corridors in the city, according to its acting transportation safety officer. In a five-year study from 2018 to 2023, the stretch of road just south of William Cannon drive was experiencing a vehicle-related crash every eight days on average, according to the city's virtual open house on the safety project. There were 237 documented crashes that resulted in 51 injuries, eight serious injuries, and three deaths. Joel Meyer, the city's acting transportation safety officer, said Bluff Springs road was originally built as a rural highway and its design needs to be changed now that the city continues to grow and develop. "Those [rural highways] really facilitate fast speeds, lack of safe crossing opportunities, things like that, and when you combine that with the increased growth we're seeing in some of these areas, it's really just a recipe for dangero...

Recipe: A cherry pie recipe that’s as sweet (or sour) as you want it to be

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Apple pie may rule fall, but cherry pie is summer’s queen, lording over all other flavors for the few brief weeks when fresh cherries are in season. Because, while cherry pies made with frozen fruit are perfectly delightful, nothing beats the juicy bite of seasonal cherries, baked until syrupy and wrapped in a buttery crust.The only question is, sour cherries or sweet? Each has its virtues. Sweet cherries are complex and gently spicy, with a crisp flesh that holds its shape even after baking. Sour cherries are tangier and more perfumed, with a tendency to break down to something between a compote and a glossy jam. You can make this recipe using either kind of cherry, with a few small adjustments.To play up the acidity of mellow sweet cherries, I stir the grated zest and juice of a lemon into the fruit. Lime also works, adding floral notes along with its bite. You can skip this step with sour cherries, which are born zippy.Sour cherries do need more sugar than sweet, but how much mor...

Recipes: The secrets to an excellent sandwich

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Carefully considered and seasoned, each layer of the Surfer, a turkey sandwich Matt Cahn serves at his Middle Child in the heart of Philadelphia, locks into place. The melty Swiss cheese, the spiced blueberry chutney, the vinaigrette-dressed arugula and the housemade deli turkey sit atop a thick smear of Duke’s mayonnaise inside a toasted ciabatta roll. The sandwich has nary a dry bit, and the precision of flavors is illuminating.Anything that good takes refining. The idea began with a smoked turkey and Brie panini smeared with blueberry jam from a sandwich shop in Maine, where Cahn spent summers with an old girlfriend. He slowly fine-tuned his own version for surfing trips over the years, even making his own jam from wild blueberries he picked from the backyard.The relationship didn’t last, but the memories of that time live on as one of the most popular items at Middle Child, the bustling modern sandwich shop he opened in 2017. It’s not always easy to serve something that makes cu...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Do I have to disclose my arrest record on a job application?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Shelby and it's about a mistake she made 25 years ago. Here's her email. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. Here's a dilemma. Over the last five years I’ve changed jobs twice. Both times to a better position with better pay, and I’m considering trying my luck again soon. Each time I get a new job, I disclose an arrest from when I was 19-years-old. It was a misdemeanor that was over 25 years ago, the charges were dropped after I entered a pre-trial program, and I have long since had my record expunged. Do I need to keep disclosing this to potential employers? Should I just pretend it never happened even if they ask specifically if I’ve ever been arrested? Thanks so muchShelbyI think if Shelby's record has been expunged, there is no need for her to disclose the information, especially since it was 25 years ago. But, if they ask specifically, then I thin...

Historic Pittsfield supermarket damaged by fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- Harry's Supermarket, located at 290 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, was heavily damaged by a fire on July 11. The Pittsfield Fire Department arrived to the scene around 6:25 p.m. that day. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! When firefighters first arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the building. The supermarket closed at 6 p.m., making it hard for the firefighters to enter the building, said the fire department.They found that the fire originated from the deli counter and worked to contain it. The fire was brought under control in about an hour. Body of woman missing out of Albany recovered from Hudson River There were no reported injuries in the fire, but one firefighter was sent to the hospital for heat exhaustion. He was treated, released, and is expected to make a full recovery, said the fire department.Harry’s Supermarket is a staple of the greater Wahconah Street neighborhood, sai...

John Mozeliak reflects on Cardinals' nightmare season, insists 'changes have to happen'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The 2023 season has been far from the standard of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Heading out of the All-Star break, the St. Louis Cardinals will carry a 38-52 record and stand 11 games back of their closest path to postseason. At their current pace, the Cardinals are on track for a 68-94 record, which would be the team's worst finish in nearly a century. The season has been filled with challenges and frustration for St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. This is his 28th year in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and 16th year as the team's lead executive. Four MLB All-Stars who could be Cardinals right now, and why they aren’t The 2023 season: An enigma unlike anything he's ever conquered. Blowout defeats. Comeback efforts just short. Late-game heartbreakers. All after one of the more memorable seasons in recent history that saw two franchise icons retire in Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. So what now? Just before the All-Star break, M...