Two insurance industry giants have stepped back from the California marketplace. They say that wildfire risk and soaring construction costs have prompted them to stop writing new policies. State Farm announced last week it would stop accepting applications for all business and personal lines of property and casualty insurance. Allstate announced in November it would pause new homeowners, condo and commercial insurance policies in the state. California’s unsettled market aligns with trends a...| AP News
At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one or more types of the chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, not all of which can be detected with current tests; the USGS study tested for the presence of 32 types.| www.usgs.gov