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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Federal Contractors Argue Cyber Insurance Isn’t a Safe Bet for Better Security

A broad range of federal contractors fear a watchdog report on the government’s role facilitating coverage of cybersecurity risks—included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act—will lead to a mandate that their companies hold related insurance policies.

In a recent letter to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the Professional Services Council opposed a provision in the House bill calling for the Government Accountability Office to produce recommendations after studying the state of the insurance industry and the extent to which it’s tied to minimum standards for cybersecurity.

The provision—Sec. 1710A—doesn’t require federal contractors to have cyber insurance policies, but it is grouped together in the letter with a number of other proposals around cyber threat hunting and intelligence sharing that are based on recommendations of the public-private, nonpartisan, congressionally established Cyberspace Solarium Commission. 

The commission’s lawmakers—who represent the political spectrum—are trying to get as many of

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

$3.75 Million CAGC Foundation Grant to Aid Contractors In North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Carolinas AGC is excited to announce the opening of the CAGC Foundation Grant to help contractors with coronavirus mitigation efforts in the construction workplace. The grant was one of many allocations to state and local government agencies and nonprofits named in HB 1105 that appropriated the remaining CARES funding for pandemic relief. CAGC’s lobbying team garnered the major legislative victory during a recent legislative session and developed grant guidance and an application for qualified businesses and organizations that have a business office in North Carolina. The grant application period is open through Wednesday, October 28th at 5:00pm, and grants will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis to eligible subgrantees. Funding must be spent by December 30, 2020.

The legislation stipulates that $3 million of the grant funds are to be awarded to construction businesses and non-profits that

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Uber and Lyft Lobby California Appeals Court to Keep Drivers as Contractors

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Arguing before a state appeals court Tuesday, Uber and Lyft lawyers predicted fewer rides for consumers, lower earnings for drivers and a spike in drunk-driving accidents if they are forced to classify California drivers as employees instead of contractors.

“I don’t want the court to think that if the injunction is affirmed, that these people will continue to have these earning opportunities because they won’t,” Lyft attorney Rohit Singla said.

Uber and Lyft want California’s First Appellate District to overturn a lower court’s Aug. 10 preliminary injunction requiring them to start classifying drivers as employees. The injunction was stayed pending appeal on Aug. 20.

Joined by the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sued Uber and Lyft in May, accusing them of violating Assembly Bill 5 by misclassifying drivers as independent contractors and denying

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Contractors say they’ve ‘no option’ but to pass on Carbon Tax increase directly to farmers

Agricultural contractors will will have no option but to pass on a ’28pc Carbon Tax cost increase’ directly to farmer customers, the Association of Farm & Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has said.

This, it said, will equate to almost a 14pc increase for all Farm & Forestry Contractor current annual charges turnover levels of more than €700 million paid for by Irish farmers.

The increase of €7.50 per tonne in Carbon Tax which brought the Carbon Tax penalty for Contractors to €33.50 per tonne, will mean that Farm & Forestry Contractors suffer an unfair Carbon Tax burden of €13,455 per annum, based on a typical use level of 150,000 litres of annual diesel consumption, as the Carbon Tax now equates to 8.97 cent per litre of the total cost of agricultural diesel.

“Despite the fact that the modern machinery used by Farm & Forestry contractors also consumes costly AdBlue

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Watchdog rips MTA oversight of big-dollar contractors

The MTA’s evaluation process for big-dollar contractors is “a pass/fail test where everyone passes” and in need of a “fundamental revamp,” the agency’s inspector general said in a damning new report.

IG Carolyn Pokorny’s office found MTA managers gave nearly 100 percent of companies passing grades, allowing “problematic vendors” to “undeservedly score” access cushy construction contracts.

The evaluation process — known as the All-Agency Contraction Evaluation — is conducted for companies with capital contracts of $250,000 or more.

In 2019, contract managers gave the highest grade of “satisfactory” to 97.2 percent of contract recipients, the IG said. Just .4 percent of contractors received failing grades.

IG investigators previously flagged instances of poor performing contractors with passing ratings in 2009 and 2015.

“Capital project managers have a history of rating subpar vendors ‘satisfactory’ in evaluations, creating ‘evaluation inflation’ in the system,” the report released Wednesday said.

“Data from 2016 through 2019

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Uber and Lyft faced tough questions from California judges as they seek to keep classifying drivers as contractors



Dara Khosrowshahi, Logan Green are posing for a picture: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Lyft CEO Logan Green Laura Buckman/Reuters; Carlo Allegri/Reuters

© Provided by Business Insider
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Lyft CEO Logan Green Laura Buckman/Reuters; Carlo Allegri/Reuters
  • A California appeals court heard arguments on Tuesday from Uber and Lyft as they appeal a recent ruling that would force the companies to reclassify drivers as employees.
  • A lower court determined in August that Uber and Lyft drivers are employees, not contractors, under the state’s gig work law, AB-5, but delayed enforcing the ruling while the companies appeal it.
  • Uber, Lyft, and other gig companies have fought AB-5 aggressively, pouring more than $180 million into a ballot measure aimed at California voters that would permanently exempt them from the law.
  • The companies argue reclassifying drivers as employees will reduce their flexibility, while proponents of AB-5 say Uber and Lyft’s business models rely on underpaying drivers and skirting labor laws. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

A California appeals court heard

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Installed Building Products Acquires Insulation Contractors/Magellan Insulation


Installed Building Products, Inc. (the “Company” or “IBP”) (NYSE: IBP), an industry-leading installer of insulation and complementary building products, today announced it has acquired Insulation Contractors/Magellan Insulation, known within its local markets as Icon. Founded in 1989, Icon is headquartered in Kent, Washington, and provides insulation, waterproofing, and firestopping installation services to commercial and multi-family customers throughout Washington and Oregon.


“With total annual revenue of approximately $26 million, Icon expands our presence with commercial and multi-family customers in Washington and Oregon. In addition, the mix of both commercial and multi-family customers aligns well with the current growth we are experiencing across our nationwide footprint,” stated Jeff Edwards, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “To date in 2020, we have acquired approximately $84 million of annual revenues. Acquisitions remain a key component of our growth strategy and we continue to have a robust pipeline of acquisition opportunities across multiple geographies,

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Posted: October 14, 2020 by [email protected]_84

On first anniversary of Hard Rock Hotel collapse, developer sues contractors, insurers | Courts

The company that owns the ill-fated Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans filed suit this week against a host of construction contractors, subcontractors and insurance companies over the 2019 building collapse that killed three workers and injured dozens more.

The suit was filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court late Monday, the first anniversary of the collapse of the upper floors of the 18-story building.
WWL logo

The ownership group, 1031 Canal Development, is led by Mohan Kailas. But company officials have said principals of two of the project’s main contractors — Denzel Clark, owner of general contractor Citadel Builders, and Todd Trosclair, owner of electrical contractor All-Star Electric — also owned a share.

The development company blames the building’s failure on Citadel, All-Star, Heaslip Engineering, architect Harry Baker Smith and 15 other subcontractors. Because of the company’s contract with Citadel to build the hotel at Canal and North Rampart streets, it

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Posted: October 13, 2020 by [email protected]_84

Can You Insist that Contractors Wear Masks While Working in Your Home?

Since its initial outbreak in late 2019, COVID-19 has upended the daily lives of millions of people across the world. In the new world of social distancing, surface disinfecting, and mask-wearing, it can be hard to know exactly what to expect on the rare occasions where social interaction becomes necessary.



a person wearing a helmet

© Westend61/Getty Images


What happens, for example, if you need an emergency repair done in your home that’s beyond the expertise of an experienced DIYer? How far are you allowed to go to keep you and your family safe? And what safety measures can you require from the people coming into your home?

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Can You Ask Contractors to Wear a Mask?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can (and should) ask any service provider entering your home to wear a mask. The best way to make that clear is to wear one yourself

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Posted: October 13, 2020 by [email protected]_84

On one-year anniversary of Hard Rock Hotel collapse, developer sues host of contractors | News

The company that owns the ill-fated Hard Rock Hotel filed suit this week against a host of construction contractors, subcontractors and insurance companies for damages related to the collapse of the highrise last October that killed three workers and injured dozens more.

The legal action was filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court late Monday, on the one-year anniversary of the collapse of the upper floors of the 18-story building.

The ownership group, 1031 Canal Development, is led by Mohan Kailas. But company officials have said principals of two of the project’s main contractors — Denzell Clark, owner of general contractor Citadel Builders, and Todd Trosclair, owner of electrical contractor All-Star Electric — also owned a share.

1031 Canal places the blame for the building’s failure on Citadel, All-Star, Heaslip Engineering, architect Harry Baker Smith and 15 other subcontractors. Because of the group’s contract with Citadel to build the hotel

… Read More
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