Massachusetts governor declares state of emergency after gas blasts
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency on Friday after gas explosions in suburbs north of Boston the day before, and faulted the response of the Columbia Gas of Massachusetts unit of NiSource Inc .
Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh denies sexual misconduct allegation
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Friday denied an allegation of sexual misconduct dating back to when he was a high school student, and a senior Republican senator said there was no reason to delay his confirmation to the court.
Mother and child killed as Hurricane swamps Carolinas
A mother and infant were killed in Wilmington when a tree fell on their house as Hurricane Florence crashed into North Carolina on Friday, swamping streets with torrential rain and a powerful storm surge.
Massachusetts gas explosions shine spotlight on century-old pipelines
Thousands of miles of natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts are leak-prone and need repair, utilities have told state regulators, highlighting aging energy infrastructure risks after explosions ripped through three towns outside of Boston this week.
Riding out ‘monster’ Florence at home, hardy holdouts feel lucky so far
As Hurricane Florence bent trees and began to peel away part of his neighbor’s roof late on Thursday night, E.J. Griffin wondered if he had made a mistake by staying at his house in Carolina Beach in defiance of a mandatory evacuation order.
Investor favorite NiSource faces questions after Massachusetts explosions
Before gas explosions in Massachusetts sent its shares reeling on Friday, utility NiSource Inc was considered a secure play and its top investor was loading up on shares as part of a push into what it called “the safest, most defensive sector in the S&P 500.”
Factbox: Over 634,000 without power as Florence batters Carolinas
U.S. Southeast power companies said over 634,000 homes and businesses located mostly in North Carolina and South Carolina were without power on Friday after Hurricane Florence hit the coast.
Boston suburbs gas pipeline accident biggest since 2010: safety bureau
Some 8,000 people in Boston’s suburbs had little hope of returning home soon as investigators scrambled on Friday to find out the cause of dozens of gas explosions that destroyed scores of homes in the biggest such accident in nearly a decade.
Factbox: People indicted, convicted, investigated in Trump-Russia probe
U.S. President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort agreed to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election as part of a plea deal, prosecutors said on Friday.
Factbox: Gas distribution line-related accidents in the United States
Dozens of explosions apparently triggered by a natural gas pipeline rupture rocked three communities in Massachusetts on Thursday, killing at least one person and causing multiple injuries and evacuations.
