Monthly Archives: <span>February 2021</span>

Zillow’s Price Estimates Are Now Cash Offers in Homebuying Push

For years, Zillow Group Inc. has titillated homeowners, prospective buyers and the voyeuristic public by estimating the value of tens of millions of U.S. homes and publishing the results. Now the real estate giant is putting cash behind its number-crunching, …

Critics Say Microsoft Failed to Shore Up Defenses That Could Have Limited Solarwinds Hack

SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft Corp’s failure to fix known problems with its cloud software facilitated the massive SolarWinds hack that compromised at least nine federal government agencies, according to security experts and the office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. A …

Walz’s $518M Bonding Bill Includes Money to Rebuild Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz proposed a $518 million capital investment package Monday that includes $150 million for rebuilding neighborhoods hit by unrest after the death of George Floyd last May and $43 million in security upgrades for the …

Illegal Gold Mine in Indonesia Collapses, Killing 6 Workers

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An illegal gold mine on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island collapsed on nearly two dozen people who were working inside, killing six and leaving one worker missing, officials said Thursday. Survivors estimated 23 people were trapped in the …

Wildfire Victims Sue Former PG&E Executives Alleging Neglect

SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — A trust representing more than 80,000 victims of deadly wildfires ignited by Pacific Gas and Electric’s rickety electrical grid is suing nearly two dozen of the utility’s former executives and board members, alleging they neglected …

Southern Exposure: Cold Wreaks Havoc on Aging Waterworks

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The sunshine is back and the ice has melted. But more than a week after a deep freeze across the South, many communities are still grappling with getting clean water to their citizens. For years, experts …

Builders Grapple With Land Shortage, Soaring Lumber Costs

LOS ANGELES — U.S. homebuilders are poised to benefit this spring homebuying season amid strong demand, low mortgage rates and an all-time low inventory of previously occupied homes for sale. But soaring lumber prices and a shortage of construction-ready land …

Viewpoint: Faulty Hose Bibs One of Many Subrogation Opportunities from Record Freeze

Although I am a native Texan, I grew up in Wisconsin. Therefore, I am no stranger to cold weather or the devastating effects it can have on people and property. When I moved back to Texas two years ago to …

Texas Lawmakers Look to Lay Blame for Deadly Power Blackout

Texas state lawmakers on Thursday dug into the causes and cast blame for deadly power blackouts that left millions shivering in the dark as frigid temperatures caught its grid operator and utilities ill-prepared for skyrocketing power demand. Dual hearings in …

Texas Deep Freeze Could Cost $90 Billion in Losses, Modeler Says

Texas’s deep freeze and power outages last week could cost as much as $90 billion in losses, and most of it could have been avoided, according to Enki Research disaster modeler Chuck Watson. Arctic cold brought ice and sub-zero temperatures …