Justice Dept. Will Seek to Block 2 Health Insurance Mergers
The Justice Department is preparing lawsuits to block two giant health insurance deals, according to a person briefed on the matter, continuing a spate of antitrust actions in a whirlwind year for mergers and acquisitions.
Antitrust officials are concerned that Aetna’s $37 billion deal with
Self-driving cars: Consumer groups want government to hit brakes
As automakers race to create cars that can drive themselves, a growing chorus of consumer advocates is demanding that the companies — and their federal regulators — slow down.
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Takata Settles Airbag Suit, Averting Testimony by Its Chief
The airbag maker Takata on Friday settled a closely watched lawsuit involving the injury and eventual death of a woman whose car crashed in 2014.
The settlement was announced moments before a critical hearing in which a judge in Jacksonville, Fla., could have ordered the company’s chief...
Lawsuit: Exploding e-cigarette battery burns Delaware man
A Bear man received second-degree burns to his leg and had to undergo skin graft surgery after an electronic cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Delaware.
George Ayers was walking from his car to his house with his arms full of groceries when one of the two batteries in his front...
Behind Volkswagen Settlement, Speed and Compromise
It was one of the fastest civil settlements in the history of corporate malfeasance, coming together in six months instead of the years usually required for such complex negotiations. But the path to Volkswagen’s $15 billion deal last month with American officials and car owners over the company’s...
Tesla Autopilot Too Much, Too Soon, Consumer Reports Warns
In an unusual move, Consumer Reports has called Tesla's Autopilot "Too Much Autonomy Too Soon" and called on the automaker to disable the hands-free feature until its safety can be improved. The system has come under increased scrutiny in the wake of a fatal May 7 crash in Florida, which U.S. safety regulators are investigating.
"By...
Senate Approves Bill to Combat Opioid Addiction Crisi
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to tackle the nation’s opioid crisis, sending to the president’s desk the most sweeping drug legislation in years in a rare instance of consensus in Congress.
The measure, which passed, 92 to 2, would strengthen prevention, treatment and...
Court: Ignition-switch lawsuits against GM can proceed
General Motors cannot avoid lawsuits from pre-bankruptcy ignition-switch defect victims, a federal court ruled Wednesday.
The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a bankruptcy judge's ruling that had protected GM from those lawsuits because of the company's 2009 bankruptcy restructuring.
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As U.S. Investigates Fatal Tesla Crash, Company Defends Autopilot System
Even as federal safety officials step up their investigation of the fatal crash of a driver operating a Tesla car with its Autopilot system engaged, the company continues to defend the self-driving technology as safe when properly used.
The...
Superbug gene detected in a second person in the U.S.
Researchers have found bacteria resistant to the antibiotic of last resort in a sample from a second patient in the United States, according to a study published Monday. The patient had surgery at a New York hospital last year, researchers said.
The news comes after researchers reported in late May that a patient in Pennsylvania...
