local governments News

J&J Settles West Virginia Opioid Litigation for $99M

Johnson & Johnson said on Monday it agreed to pay $99 million to settle claims by West Virginia that it helped fuel an opioid addiction crisis in the state, removing the company from an ongoing trial that began earlier this …

J&J Reaches Opioid Settlement With Holdout New Mexico

Johnson & Johnson on Friday said it had agreed to pay $44 million to resolve claims that it fueled the opioid epidemic in New Mexico, a state which originally opted against participating in a nationwide settlement resolving thousands of similar …

Florida Seizes on Low Rates for Hurricane Fund as Storms Start

With hurricane season barreling down on Florida, the state is seizing on low interest rates to borrow $2.25 billion for its catastrophe insurance fund. The State Board of Administration Finance Corp. is joining state and local governments that have rushed …

Feds Review Hurricane Irma Invoices From 3 Florida Cities

MIAMI — Three South Florida cities are being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General for “questionable invoices” and other documents submitted by consultants for reimbursement of debris cleanup from Hurricane Irma. The Federal Emergency Management …

Georgia County’s Experience Shows Perils of Ransomware

JEFFERSON, Ga. — On the first Saturday in March, computer screens at the 911 dispatch center in this small town went dark. Staff at the county jail around the same time could no longer open cell doors remotely with electronic …