Hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and fines over unintended acceleration in Toyotas and faulty ignition switches in General Motors’ vehicles provide a glimpse of what consumers and the government might get from Volkswagen for cheating on diesel emissions, … Source: Claims Journal

Long after Johnstown’s rivers receded in 1936, a so-called “temporary” liquor tax to aid the city’s recovery has remained – even though it has been nearly 80 years since it’s been used to benefit Johnstown or any statewide flood relief. … Source: Claims Journal

A judge sentenced an Indianapolis man to more than two life sentences in prison on Friday for his role in a 2012 house explosion that killed two people and destroyed or damaged dozens of homes. Bob Leonard was convicted last … Source: Claims Journal

Federal officials have failed to ensure regular inspections are carried out at dozens of Native American schools, where safety hazards have ranged from exposed electrical wires and broken windows to a natural gas leak, a government watchdog said. Nearly 200 … Source: Claims Journal

North Carolina is reversing warnings about water that health officials said was too polluted to drink and now reassuring residents who live near pits that hold waste from decades of coal-burning for electricity that their well water is safe. The … Source: Claims Journal

U.S. officials moved Thursday to strengthen safety rules for the nation’s 300,000-mile network of natural gas transmission pipelines in response to numerous fiery accidents, including a 2010 California explosion that killed eight people and injured more than 50. The Department … Source: Claims Journal

By the end of 2016, nearly four million people may be infected with the Zika virus, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found that factors like weather, travel and poverty … Source: Claims Journal

The laundering through the Philippines of $81 million stolen by hackers from a U.S. Federal Reserve account is adding to pressures on the Southeast Asian country to fix loopholes in its financial regime. It also highlights a potential pitfall in … Source: Claims Journal

Efforts to increase speed limits on Iowa freeways and rural roads failed in the Legislature this year amid safety concerns, but officials acknowledged such moves are popular with drivers and likely will come before lawmakers again. Several bills were introduced … Source: Claims Journal

Maryland police officers didn’t always follow the safety recommendations of a stun gun manufacturer in the hundreds of times they used them over a three-year period, a newspaper investigation has found. Data from 2012 to 2014 shows police discharged their … Source: Claims Journal