A Holly Jolly Linkfest

■ Camp Fire kills carrier:

“The local Merced County Insurance Company — whose client base is overwhelmingly located in the wildfire-prone Sacramento Central Valley area — announced this week that it was closing shop because it can’t pay out the expected fire-related insurance claims.“

Facing at least $64 million on claims, and with only $23 million of available assets, the company sought – and has received – bankruptcy protection. Fortunately for their clients, the California Insurance Guarantee Association (sort of like FDIC for insurance companies) will step in and cover their losses.

■ In an interesting twist, Dutch medical authorities have discovered medical ethics. Readers may recall our recent post about a Dutch doc in the dock:

“Dutch doctor faces first euthanasia prosecution“

Well, it seems that another of the country’s traditions is about to expire:

“Two major Dutch hospitals say they will stop importing human body parts from American firms, which they have been doing without any regulation for a decade.”

Parts is parts, as the saying goes, but apparently this practice was a bridge too far for even the Dutch:

“The move comes amid investigations by U.S. law enforcement into some so-called body brokers – companies that obtain the dead, often through donation, dissect them and sell the parts for profit. “

More details at the link.

■  The Much Vaunted National Health Service© is also in the news for coming clean on their own little shanda:

“The family of a former soldier who took his own life have won a six-figure payout after NHS chiefs admitted a catalogue of failings in his care.”

The 29 year old paratrooper, Aidan Knight, had served in Iraq for half a decade. He finally bailed, having “seen too much death.” He’d been trying to get professional counseling for two months, unsuccessfully. In a case of “too little, too late,” the MVNHS© has apologized and cut a cheque.

Better than nothing, one supposes.