There has been a lot of discussion in the forums about the to sisters listed as whistleblowers in serveral news articles on the web.

Click here to view the current discussion.

Here are some links to some of the news articles.

ABC Blog Page

State Farm calls ABC's 20/20 report that it cheated Katrina victims 'grossly unfair'

• Click here to read the reply from State Farm.

Quote from the article; (Thanks Burt)

"JERSEY CITY, N.J.  Aug. 10 — ISO has acquired the assets of Xactware, Inc., the leading provider of estimation software and services for the property insurance, remodeling and restoration industries. Terms were not disclosed.

The privately held company and its more than 230 employees will continue operating at its current headquarters in Orem, Utah, as a stand-alone entity, serving its extensive customer base of property insurers, contractors and service providers throughout the United States and Canada. 

Founded in 1986, Xactware’s customers now include 16 of the top 20 property insurers and approximately 80 percent of insurance repair contractors and service providers. During the record-breaking hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, Xactware’s products were used to settle more claims than all its competitors combined.  

“Xactware enhances ISO’s ability to deliver more comprehensive products and services to our property insurance claims customers,” said Frank J. Coyne, ISO chairman, president and chief executive officer.

“Xactware has a very attractive combination of market-leading products and services, proprietary databases, a solid customer base and a superb management team,” said Coyne."

August 8, 2006 — With the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season upon us, experts from NOAA are reiterating their prediction for an above-normal number of storms. NOAA scientists warn this year's relatively quiet start is not an indication of what the remainder of the season has in store.

The number of named storms goes from 17 to 15.  Intense hurrricanes goes from 5 to 3.

Dr. Gray provides the following reason for this reduction.

"We have reduced our forecast from our earlier predictions issued in early December, early April and late May.  There have been no large changes in any particular atmospheric and oceanic predictor that have caused us to do this.  There has, however, been a combination of changes in the ocean/atmosphere system that indicate to us that this season is no longer likely to be as active as our earlier predictions indicated.  Physical features which have become less favorable for an active hurricane season are as follows: