Top 5 crimes found in pre-employment checks and their hiring risks. The nature of the crime revealed in a background check can affect a candidate's suitability for the role you are filling. For example, someone with a conviction for writing bad checks might not be the ideal candidate for a leadership position in the accounting department. Conversely, conducting a screening not only aids in making more informed hiring decisions, but also shields a company from potential future liability claims alleging that adequate screening was not conducted. Here are some negligent hiring cases where the employer was found at fault for not catching tell-tale signs of foreshadowing behavior. * Drug Offenses In 2020, a transportation company was held liable for the collision between an FTS semi-truck and Patterson's vehicle. After the incident, FTS required the driver, Acker, to take a drug test which showed positive results for marijuana, along with amphetamine and methamphetamine metabolites. Acker had a history of drug possession, driving with a suspended license, and probation violations. The court held the employer directly liable for negligent hiring, training, and supervision. * theft and property. One of the largest verdicts in American history was a negligent hiring case ordering Charter Communications (Spectrum) to pay more than $7 billion for the murder of an elderly woman who was killed by a service technician in her home. He then went to steal her cards and go on a shopping spree. The suit alleges the company did not run a proper background check and therefore, failed to reveal that the offender had been let go from previous positions for offenses including harassment of co-workers and forgery. * DUI/ traffic violations. An employee operating a propane truck owned by Ferrellgas collided with a charter bus. A passenger filed a suit alleging Ferrellgas was negligent in their hiring. This was proven in court when the defendant himself admitted to his past traffic violations and prior Driving While Intoxicated (DWI/DUI) citations. * assault and battery. In the Deerings West Nursing Center v. Scott case, a nursing home hired an unlicensed nurse who had a prior history of multiple misdemeanor theft and assault convictions. While working on the facility grounds, the employee confronted and assaulted a woman visiting her brother in a nursing home. * sex offenses. In 1983, The Kirby Company hired Michael Molacheck as a door-to-door dealer. Prior to his hiring, Molachek had been unemployed for a year. During that year, Molachek was convicted of two assault charges and two weapons charges in Minnesota, and a Minnesota charge of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree which was pending when they hired him. After beginning a demonstration with a Kirby vacuum cleaner, Molachek used a set of knives used as "gift offerings" to then sexually assault a woman in her home. Not only is screening an effective way to weed out incompatible candidates, this step in the hiring process acts as a failsafe for any future negligent hiring lawsuits. By implementing a comprehensive screening process, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of hiring individuals who may not align with the company's values, culture, or job requirements. Furthermore, the legal landscape surrounding employment practices has become increasingly complex, with negligent hiring lawsuits posing a substantial risk to organizations. These lawsuits can arise when an employee engages in harmful behavior that causes injury to others, and the employer is found to have overlooked significant warning signs during the hiring process. By conducting diligent screenings, companies can demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to ensure that their hires are qualified and trustworthy, thereby protecting themselves from liability.

Is Spectrum internet down again? Outages plague customers again in 2026: is your connection down? Published 04/07/26 AT 9:32 PM AEST Frustrated Spectrum customers across the United States are once again asking, "Is Spectrum internet down?" as reports of service disruptions continue to surface in 2026, marking what some users on Reddit describe as the 17th outage of the year so far. Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum, has faced a wave of connectivity complaints this year, with isolated and regional outages affecting internet, TV and voice services. While major national blackouts have not dominated headlines on April 7, real-time monitoring sites and social media reflect ongoing customer pain points, from prolonged downtime in specific neighborhoods to questions about reliability amid infrastructure upgrades and external incidents. As of Tuesday evening, Downdetector.com showed no widespread national outage for Spectrum, with user reports hovering near baseline levels for broadband internet and Wi-Fi issues. However, scattered complaints persisted, including a user in an unspecified location reporting an outage since the previous afternoon with unclear restoration timelines from the company. Similar posts on X (formerly Twitter) highlighted day-two blackouts and calls for alternatives like Starlink. Spectrum's own support pages urge customers to check for outages via the My Spectrum app or by chatting with support. The company notes that services are typically restored within hours for many incidents, but frustration builds when communication lags. In one recent Reddit thread, a user detailed being offline from 4:34 p.m. one day until midday the next, attributing it to "maintenance" - a frequent explanation that leaves many unsatisfied. Recent incidents highlight pattern of disruptions. Spectrum has dealt with several notable disruptions in early 2026. On April 2, thousands reported issues, with DownDetector spikes starting around 1:50 a.m. Eastern Time, primarily hitting broadband and Wi-Fi. Reports concentrated in metropolitan areas but extended to suburban and rural customers. Just days earlier, an alleged criminal attack on fiber-optic lines in north Austin, Texas, near the Wells Branch neighborhood caused temporary outages for residential and business users. Spectrum confirmed crews worked to restore service, though not all customers regained connectivity immediately. Authorities investigated the incident as a deliberate cut to infrastructure. In South Texas, a April outage tied to a third-party transport provider disrupted internet, voice and TV services in Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley starting around 4:45 p.m. A spokesperson said service was restored by 6:30 p.m., describing it as a short interruption. Earlier in the year, a January 6 outage linked to Charter nodes affected customers and downstream partners internationally, including in New York, Washington D.C., Houston and even overseas locations like Japan, Australia and South Korea. The disruption lasted roughly one hour and 10 minutes in total. These events occur against a backdrop of Spectrum's ambitious network upgrades aimed at delivering faster speeds - up to 10 Gbps in some areas. While the modernization promises better performance long-term, it has contributed to headaches during transitions, alongside factors like weather, power issues, equipment failures and occasional vandalism. Customer frustration mounts amid broader challenges. Spectrum serves millions with cable internet, TV and home phone bundles, but reliability concerns have fueled churn. In 2025, the company lost hundreds of thousands of internet and TV customers amid price hikes and fierce competition from fiber providers and fixed wireless options. Charter reported continued losses into early 2026, prompting strategic shifts, including workforce adjustments and service revamps. Users on forums and social platforms voice common gripes: slow restoration updates, repeated "maintenance" explanations and questions about compensation. Spectrum has pledged automatic refunds for outages longer than two hours and same-day technician visits for qualifying complaints received before 5 p.m. Yet many report mixed experiences with follow-through. One X user on April 7 tagged Spectrum, noting an outage since the prior day with an estimated restoration time that had already passed, calling communication "really poor." Another declared it "day 2 of complete internet outage" and eyed satellite alternatives. Geoblackout and other trackers showed modest reports in the last 24 hours as of April 7, with some concentration in Florida, Texas and Michigan in recent days. Individual zip code checks via Spectrum's tools or third-party sites like spectrumoutage.org remain the best way for users to verify local status. How to check and troubleshoot spectrum outages. Spectrum recommends several steps when service drops: * Verify an outage: Log into spectrum.net or the My Spectrum app and check the outage map or chat support with "Am I in an outage?" * Power cycle equipment: Unplug the modem and router for 30 seconds, then reconnect. Check lights on the devices for error patterns. * Test connections: Try a wired connection directly to the modem to isolate Wi-Fi issues. * Monitor alerts: Enable push notifications in the app for area-specific updates. Sign up for storm or maintenance alerts via the Spectrum Storm Center. * Contact support: Call 888-369-2408 (available 24/7) or visit a local store. For billing-related suspensions, payments can restore service within one to two hours. If problems persist beyond two hours, customers may qualify for credits. Spectrum's customer commitment page outlines these policies in detail. Experts advise documenting downtime with screenshots of speed tests or app alerts, as this helps when requesting compensation. What's next for Spectrum customers? Charter continues investing in its network to combat customer losses, including expanding fiber in select markets and enhancing Wi-Fi equipment. However, analysts note that competition remains intense, with providers like Google Fiber, AT&T and T-Mobile Home Internet gaining ground in many regions. For now, customers in outage-prone areas are turning to mobile hotspots, public Wi-Fi or backup solutions while awaiting fixes. Spectrum has not issued a broad statement on April 7 activity, but its support resources emphasize proactive troubleshooting. Users experiencing issues should first rule out local problems like router glitches or account billing holds before assuming a wider outage. With 2026 already seeing multiple incidents, many are watching closely to see if reliability improves as upgrades progress. Spectrum officials have previously attributed some disruptions to external factors, including third-party providers and infrastructure tampering, while pledging faster response times. As evening falls on April 7, the immediate picture shows no massive national meltdown, but the "again" in customer questions underscores a year of persistent challenges for one of America's largest ISPs. Those relying on Spectrum for remote work, streaming or online schooling continue to hope for fewer interruptions ahead. MEET IBT NEWS FROM BELOW CHANNELS