Tag: USA Herald

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This is the case of Moravia Motorcycle, Inc. v. Allstate Insurance Company, in the U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania.

The plaintiffs commenced this action in July 2021 in the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. However, Allstate moved for a change of venue and the case was transferred to the District Court Western District of Pennsylvania based on diversity jurisdiction; at the same time, Allstate filed a partial motion to dismiss.

Plaintiffs Moravia Motorcycle, Inc. and Thomas and Deborah McKinney filed their lawsuit against Allstate Insurance Company (“Allstate”), seeking benefits under an insurance policy for damage to their motor home.

Plaintiffs seek the policy limits of $100,000, plus damages for bad faith and treble damages under the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“UTPCPL”).

Relevant Factual Background

The Plaintiffs own a 2008 Coachman motor home which was insured with Allstate. The motor home was parked at the plaintiff’s property in Chesterfield, South Carolina.

In April 2020, numerous storms passed through the Chesterfield area, causing a tree branch to fall on top of the motor home, causing damage to the roof and seal.

Because there was damage to the seal, rainwater and other moisture were able to enter the motor home, causing severe damage to the motor home and the plaintiff’s property located inside.

The complaint alleges that in initially looking for insurance coverage on their motor home, they inquired of the insurer about its motor home insurance and that the insurer represented to them that there would be coverage for the type of loss they eventually sustained.

Two Adjusters Took Opposite Positions

According to the complaint, after the insurance policy was issued and the loss actually occurred, Allstate initially sent a claims adjuster who found that the damage was covered under the policy.

The plaintiffs then took their motor home to a qualified mechanic to make the necessary repairs. They say that without explanation, Allstate sent a second claims adjuster to re-evaluate their claim.

The plaintiffs allege that the second adjuster concluded their loss was not covered and Allstate denied payment. As a result, the repairs were never performed, which resulted in further damage to the motor home, including electrical issues, decay of the interior walls, and mold.

Plaintiffs Commence their action

Unable to resolve the matter, In July 2021, the plaintiffs sued for breach of contract, negligence, and bad faith. Allstate filed a motion moving to dismiss the bad faith and negligence claims.

 Politicians and governments worldwide are gearing up for potential civil mayhem as many countries wrestle with soaring energy costs and rising inflation. 

The global economy is facing an assault from multiple sides — a war in Europe, shortages of oil, gas, and food, and high inflation, each of which has worsened the next.

Cold weather, combined with an oil and gas shortage stemming from Western sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, threatens to upend lives and businesses in Europe.

But as much worry as there is ahead of this winter, it’s really the winter of 2023 that people should be worried about, prominent oil and gas executives have warned.

“We’ve got a difficult winter ahead, and subsequent to that we’ve got a more difficult winter in the year ahead of that, because the production that is available to Europe in the first half of 2023 is considerably less than the production we had available to us in the first half of 2022,” Russell Hardy, CEO of major oil trader Vitol, told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble during a panel at the Adipec conference in Abu Dhabi.

“So the consequences of energy shortage and therefore price escalation, all of the things that have been discussed here about the cost of living, the expectation of problems ahead, clearly need to be thought about in that context,” he said.

“We are in good shape for this winter. But as we said, the issue is not this winter. It will be the next one, because we are not going to have Russian gas.” He added.

CEO Bernard Looney, speaking at the same panel, agreed. Energy prices “are approaching unaffordability,” with some people already “spending 50% of their disposable income on energy or higher,” he said.

 

Gold prices slipped 1.6% in October and have declined for seven consecutive months, marking the most protracted plunge since 1869, according to a Deutsche Bank note.

Much of that time includes the era when the US dollar was fixed to gold, meaning the precious metal’s price didn’t move much.

But Deutsche Bank analysts also noted that such a losing streak hadn’t been seen in the half-century that followed the US coming off the gold standard, ending the Bretton Woods currency exchange regime.

Bullion jumped 1.21% Tuesday, changing hands at $1,643.56 per ounce but has declined 11% from the start of the year. Meanwhile inflation-adjusted bond yields have surged sharply following hawkish rate hikes from the Federal Reserve and other central banks.

Real yields soared from -0.49% in March to 1.54% in October, and that has “diminished the appeal of a non-interest bearing asset, even as inflation has remained high,” the note said. 

Gold, however, has still outperformed most other notable assets despite the sharp plunge this year, according to Deutsche Bank research strategist Jim Reid. He wrote in a note Tuesday that outside of oil, gold is the asset nearest to parity so far in 2022. 

“So on a relative basis, it’s performed better than virtually all other global assets,” he said. 

 

Apple announced it has temporarily pulled gambling ads from the iPhone’s App Store. They call the move a pause.

Apple is just opening up the ad business on the App Store. And there is speculation that their strategy is to cripple other companies’ ad businesses. They appear to be specifically targeting Meta (formerly known as Facebook). 

In 2021, the mega tech company introduced App Tracking Transparency, which was an updated privacy setting. And it hurt Meta’s ability to effectively advertise on iPhones. 

Meta says that Apple will cost it an estimated $10 billion in lost revenue.  

Apple also recently developed its tools to replace Meta’s in-app advertising network. And last week published updated its guidelines demanding a 30% cut of all sales for ads and promoted social media posts. 

All these moves seem designed to cut into Facebook’s traditional ad profits.

Nevertheless, last week’s rollout of Apple’s new ad business did not go well.

The drama started on Tuesday when the App Store introduced brand new ad spaces. And developers started complaining that they were being deluged with online casinos, and sports and horse betting apps.

Apple opened up to advertising for casino gambling along with all types of betting apps. The move was controversial since many states closely regulate or outlaw these types of gambling.

Bring on the gambling ads

Users were complaining that casino games were appearing in the “you may also like” section alongside children’s games. And gambling addiction recovery apps were popping up alongside gambling apps.

The drama started on Tuesday when the App Store introduced brand new ad spaces. And developers started complaining that they were being deluged with online casinos, and sports and horse betting apps.

Users took to Twitter to complain about the bizarre, sometimes even sketchy ads pouring onto phones. Gambling ads, odd dating apps, and hard right and left political videos, were just a few things that were being marketed.

One developer, Simon B. Støvring, posted a screenshot of a casino game ad showing up below his text-editing app, Runestone. And claimed he had visited his app’s product page 10 times and noticed ads for gambling apps showed up on three visits.

“I went to Apple’s “Our Favorite Kids’ Apps” section of the App Store, selected an app, and got presented with an ad for gambling. Not okay, Apple.”

Apple said that removing the gambling ads from the App Store is a temporary “pause.”

Awareness about human trafficking continues to grow; yet, there is still much more work ahead.

Far too many people wrongly believe human trafficking doesn’t happen in the United States. In reality, this heinous form of modern-day slavery is happening in all 50 states and right under the noses of everyday Americans.

Therefore, the more the general public becomes aware of this crime, the more communities can fight back against human trafficking.

Thankfully, cities and states across America are taking measures to educate different members of the community about human trafficking.

This is also a matter that attorneys general, law enforcement officers, and others are speaking out about. As people are fully up to speed on human trafficking, risk factors, and warning signs, an increasing amount of lives can be saved.

This week, on Thursday, November 3, the anti-human trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) is releasing a documentary across theaters nationwide.

This documentary will only be in theaters on Thursday; though it will center around human trafficking and preventative measures people can take to protect themselves and their children.

It’s Happening Right Here

OUR’s It’s Happening Right Here will center around the following issues tied in with human trafficking:

  • Sextortion
  • Online grooming
  • Tactics of human traffickers
  • Proactive prevention steps
  • Real-life accounts of human trafficking

This will also feature remarks from members of the law enforcement community, along with survivors of human trafficking. There is something for everyone in this upcoming documentary.

It’s Happening Right Here can not only raise awareness about human trafficking, but it can also save lives. Families who watch this documentary together can discover more and ensure online safety.

For individuals who may already be a target of a human trafficker without knowing it, It’s Happening Right Here will also provide meaningful insight.

November 3 is the only day It’s Happening Right Here is in select theaters throughout the United States. To find a movie theater near you to watch this documentary, click here.

Anyone who wishes to report what they believe to be human trafficking can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline via phone at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by text at 233733.

Elon Musk is officially the chief executive officer of Twitter.

Musk, who on late Thursday completed his Twitter deal, quickly moved to lay off CEO Parag Agrawal and other executives. As of Saturday afternoon, Musk has been set up under internal profiles at Twitter, including a firm directory and Slack, with the CEO title, two people familiar with the changes told Business Insider.

A few days before the deal closed, Musk changed his Twitter bio to read only “Chief Twit.” He told employees during a meeting in June that he expected to be the leader of Twitter, but said the title of CEO was not important to him.

“I don’t really care what title is, but obviously, people do need to listen to me,” he said at the time. Musk also runs Tesla, where his official title is “Technoking,” in addition to leading roles at SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.

Since taking over Twitter, Musk has met employees with silence. Meanwhile, he and his personal team of executives and assistants have gone about transitioning operations to Musk’s control and planning layoffs, as Insider reported.

 

 

The S&P 500 is poised for a radical reconstruction over the coming years as energy stocks finally gain the attention they deserve from investors, investment strategist Louis Navellier said in a Friday note.

When oil prices slumped negative in 2020 amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, oil stocks plummeted, extending a years-long downtrend that saw the energy sector decline to just 2% of the S&P 500. Today, that figure has tripled to 6% as energy stocks begin to outperform amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has sent oil prices soaring.

Navellier expects the surge to continue, forecasting that the energy sector could represent 30% of the S&P 500 by 2025. That’d be a sharp rise for the sector that ESG-focused investors have shunned in recent years.

“Technology stocks remain very nervous, and a leadership change is underway,” Navellier said in reference to this week’s trainwreck of earnings results from mega-cap tech companies like Meta and Amazon.

“I predict that in early 2025, energy stocks will be 30% of the S&P 500 and technology stocks will fall to about only 32%,” Navellier said. The main driver behind Navellier’s thesis is that investment managers have to play catchup and buy energy stocks as most ditched them when the sector was just 2% of the index.

“Tracking managers will be systematically buying energy stocks and a net seller of technology stocks as the sector weights in the S&P 500 change for at least the next couple of years,” Navellier explained.

That move would catch most investors that don’t buy passive indexes off guard, as some expect a likely price decline in oil prices if a peace deal is ever reached between Russia and Ukraine, given that’s what happened in the early days of the war.

Navellier’s outlook, though extreme, is a continuation of current trends. The technology sector is down 25% year-to-date, while the energy sector is up nearly 70% over the same period. 

 

NASA announced a new UFO team will be dedicated to reviewing the global unidentified aerial phenomena. 16 of the world’s top scientists will dedicate their time and expertise to investigating UFO sightings. 

The nine-month mission will analyze previous observations. And give its conclusions. 

In 2021, the Pentagon started up a task force to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), now being called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). 

NASA will use the Pentagon report and other unclassified data to study and review. And plans to release a comprehensive report in 2023. 

UFO team focuses on data 

The UFO team is made up of NASA professionals, an oceanographer, FAA experts, and top space scientists. 

Any observation in the sky that can’t be identified as aircraft or is not tied to natural phenomena is currently categorized as a UAP also known as a UFO.

This team will be data-focused. And will review extensive information “gathered by civilian government entities, commercial data, and data from other sources.”

The team is also tasked with creating “a roadmap for potential UAP data analysis by the agency going forward.” 

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator at NASA, said that “Exploring the unknown in space and the atmosphere is at the heart of who we are at NASA. Understanding the data, we have surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena is critical to helping us draw scientific conclusions about what is happening in our skies. Data is the language of scientists and makes the unexplainable, explainable.”

 The independent study team is being chaired by David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation.  The NASA project leader is Daniel Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

Evans explained that “NASA has brought together some of the world’s leading scientists, data and artificial intelligence practitioners, aerospace safety experts, all with a specific charge, which is to tell us how to apply the full focus of science and data to UAP.”

“The findings will be released to the public in conjunction with NASA’s principles of transparency, openness, and scientific integrity.” 

 

When the average person envisions a human trafficking scenario, they think of someone being forcibly taken into a white van by a stranger. In actuality, this happens far less often than most people believe.

Many cases of human traffickers involve predators building rapport with their targets. This can happen gradually and over time before the abuse and trafficking begin.

In numerous circumstances, traffickers aim to cut off their targets from other people in their lives. This later allows traffickers to maximize the leverage and control they have.

Unfortunately, many cases of human trafficking happen not just at the hands of strangers, but also friends, romantic partners, and even family members.

A run-down of common human trafficking scenarios

According to Family and Children’s Association (FCA) president Jeffrey Reynolds, breaking down misconceptions about human trafficking is pivotal. This can help keep communities safer and equip people with the right knowledge and information.

FCA grants director Keith Scott directed some additional attention toward this matter as well. According to Scott, trafficking entails mental manipulation and coercion. In the cases of children who suffer trafficking, they’re slightly more likely than adults to be trafficked by a relative.

Kids undergoing human trafficking may exhibit some warning signs that not everyone knows to look out for. These warning signs include:

  • Presenting fake IDs
  • Using social media to post graphically sexual content
  • Not being honest about their age
  • Having physical injuries that they can’t explain

Other cases of human trafficking can involve luring targets with false job ads. In these scenarios, it’s not uncommon for the following red flags to emerge:

  • Job listing overpromises or otherwise appears too good to be true
  • Interview location listed as at a home, abandoned location, run-down/shady area, etc.
  • Company is hard to find/research online

Periodically, people who find themselves desperate for a job or low on funds may overlook red flags. Perpetrators of human trafficking can also be those who refer someone to a job the perpetrator knows is not legitimate.

Baseline details to know about human trafficking

In the overwhelming majority of circumstances, human traffickers look to gain the trust of their targets before moving to sell them for profit.

In cases of women and girls being trafficked by romantic partners, this is a common example of the predatory “Romeo pimp” or “Loverboy.”

As human trafficking garners more mainstream attention, it’s only natural for questions to arise.

Communities across the country, along with organizations like Operation Underground Railroad and A21, remain hard at work to raise awareness and inform people about how they can combat human trafficking.

Recently on social media, questions about zip ties (notably on cars) and their potential connection to people being marked for human trafficking have come up.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, this gained so much attention that Attorney General Hector Balderas is weighing in.

Balderas on zip ties and human trafficking

According to the attorney general of New Mexico, he receives about 225 tips on human trafficking each month.

Though as far as zip ties on cars go, this is a crime. It is a crime regardless of whether or not perpetrators intend to mark the car owners as targets for trafficking.

Next, Balderas said his team is digging into the use of zip tips on vehicles. They’re also investigating whether this is happening to scare people or mark them.

Either way, the attorney general warns that perpetrators who place zip ties on other people’s vehicles remain subject to investigation and criminal prosecution. People who find these ties on their vehicles should immediately notify law enforcement, added Balderas.

The 225-per-month reports of human trafficking cases in New Mexico, on the other hand, may only be a drop in the bucket. After all, it remains well-established that many cases of human trafficking go unreported.

To this point, Balderas warned that traffickers look for vulnerabilities in those they intend to exploit. Some helpful hints the attorney general provided to avoid becoming a target are as follows:

  • Not posting online when you may be alone
  • Not letting strangers know your whereabouts or the whereabouts of loved ones

More on remaining vigilant against human traffickers

With the rise of social media, many traffickers are using these platforms to find victims. Therefore, it’s crucial for people to remain aware of the tactics that traffickers use on social media to build rapport with targets.

According to Operation Underground Railroad, traffickers sometimes create phony profiles to connect with others. Accounts with reverse images, little content, few friends, etc. should be treated with caution.

Human traffickers may also scour the internet, searching for people posting about troubles in their personal lives; often, traffickers seek to fill the void before they begin abuse and exploitation.