Latest News & Insights

General Mills to Engage Regulators on Food Dyes Targeted by RFK Jr.

General Mills Inc. is planning to engage federal officials over potential restrictions on food dyes that it uses in some of its cereals, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to run the Department of Health and Human Services, calls …

Allianz Offers 5 Loss Trends to Watch on the Liability Front

As the costs of nuclear and thermonuclear verdicts explode in the U.S., organizations are examining ways to predict, prevent and avoid the liabilities that light the fuse on multi-million-dollar court cases. Areas critical to watch include pharma class actions, the …

Sica Fletcher Index: Total Agency-Broker M&A Revenue Down 38% YTD

The 22 acquirers that make up the Sica Fletcher Index were involved in 142 agent-broker deals in the third quarter to match the amount of deal from the same quarter last year. Members completed 385 acquisitions for the year as …

Redfin Reports Home Sales Dropping Fast in Five Florida Metro Areas

The five U.S. metropolitan areas with the biggest drop in home sales are all in Florida, the result of a perfect storm of rising insurance costs, homeowner association fees and repeat storms, a home sales tracking service reported Wednesday. Redfin, …

KBRA Downgrades Insurance Financial Strength Ratings of Oregon Mutual Insurance Company

KBRA downgraded the insurance financial strength ratings (IFSR) of Oregon Mutual Insurance Co. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Western Protectors Insurance Co. to BBB+ from A-. The outlooks for both ratings remain negative. The downgrades reflect the continued deterioration in …

People Moves: CompScience Names Silver SVP of Client Service and Success

CompScience hired Jeremy Silver as senior vice president of client service and success. Silver has decades of experience scaling customer success, services and support teams. He is currently a founding limited partner at Success Venture Partners, and previously served as …

Department of Labor Fines California Retirement Home $137K for Back Wages, Damages

A California assisted living facility for seniors was fined more than $137,000 after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division reportedly found the facility failed to properly account and pay for all overtime hours worked …

Virginia Seeks $4.4 Billion Additional Federal Aid for Hurricane Helene Recovery

Citing the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene in southwest Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin submitted a request to President Joseph Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and Congressional appropriators for $4.4 billion in federal support. Youngkin said the aid is needed to support …

AT&T Stadium Roof Debris Falls to Field Before Dallas Cowboys Game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A piece of the roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys fell to the field while the retractable portion of it was being opened at least three hours before a 34-10 loss to Houston on …

Judge Tosses Ex-Arkansas Governor’s Suit Against Meta Over CBD Advertisement

A federal judge in Delaware on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee against social media giant Meta over advertisements using his name and image to sell CBD products. Huckabee, a Baptist minister and President-elect Donald …

A-G Specialty Acquires Michigan’s First Agency TPA

A-G Specialty announced the acquisition of First Agency TPA, A Gallagher Company. First Agency TPA specializes in student and athletic accident coverage at both the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels, as well as special – risk programs such as summer camp …

People Moves: Columbia Insurance Group Names Rieth VP of E&S

Columbia Insurance Group (CIG), headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, hired Aaron Rieth as vice president of excess and surplus (E&S). In this newly created position, Rieth leads the development of CIG’s direct-to-agent E&S solution. Rieth has 20 years of experience in …

New Florida Legislative Leaders Talk Tough on Property Insurance, But No Specific Plans

Florida’s newest legislative leaders on Tuesday rattled some sabers about property insurance rates and claims but offered no agenda for the upcoming session that begins in March, according to state news reports. Incoming Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, warned insurers …

Famous Gulf Coast Restaurant and Owner Fined $1.5M for Mislabeling Seafood

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant and its co-owner it were sentenced Monday on federal charges of mislabeling inexpensive imported seafood as local premium fish. Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, founded in Biloxi in 1962 in a …

Library of Congress Says an Adversary Hacked Some Emails

The Library of Congress has notified lawmakers of a “cyber breach” of its IT system by an adversary, a hack of emails between some congressional offices and library staff, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press. The library …

Hurricane Helene Isn’t the Only Big Storm North Carolina Is Recovering From

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Almost two months after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on western North Carolina, Republican lawmakers grilled officials Monday over how they handled two other hurricanes that hit the state several years ago. As part of a massive …

T-Mobile Caught Hackers Early, Averting Data Leak

T-Mobile US Inc. was able to contain a recent network breach before it reached customers’ phones, according to people familiar with the matter. Hackers accessed edge-routing infrastructure and gained unauthorized access to a limited number of devices, including a T-Mobile-owned-and-operated …

$1M Settlement for Woman After Police Dog in California Bit into Her Scalp

A Northern California city has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging police used excessive force after a K-9 dog bit into a woman’s scalp during her arrest, requiring her to get more than 200 stitches …

New York Insurance Broker Caught in $38 Million Nursing Home Tax Fraud Scheme

Prosecutors report that a New York insurance broker has admitted his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced that Joseph Schwartz, of Suffern, New …

How Will the Antitrust Showdown Launched Under Biden Change Under Trump?

The U.S. antitrust watchdogs that pounced on Big Tech and deterred corporate deal making throughout President Joe Biden’s administration may be kept on a shorter leash by Donald Trump after he returns to the White House next year. Although regulators …

Markets/Coverages: Rokstone Launches Global Parametric Product

Rokstone, the London-based speciality re/insurance MGA that is part of the Aventum Group, has launched Rokstone Parametric in partnership with NormanMax Lloyd’s Syndicate 3939. With an initial US$10 million worldwide facility, the product covers earthquake, hurricane, tropical cyclone and typhoon, …

Slot Machine Operator International Game Reports Hacker Incident

International Game Technology Plc, operator of popular slot machines in casinos, said an unauthorized third party gained access to certain of its systems. The company has experienced disruptions in portions of its internal information technology systems and applications resulting from …

Judge Weighs ‘Real Housewives of New York’ Cast Member’s Abuse Allegations

The lawyer for a former cast member of the “Real Housewives of New York” told a federal judge Thursday that the First Amendment cannot shield the show’s creators from a lawsuit alleging that the show’s participants were subjected to a …

Modern Cars Are Surveillance Devices on Wheels With Major Privacy Risks: Report

New research reveals serious privacy flaws in the data practices of new internet connected cars in Australia. It’s yet another reason why we need urgent reform of privacy laws. Modern cars are increasingly equipped with internet-enabled features. Your “connected car” …

Accused of Going Too Far, UK Finance Regulator Plots Where to Go Next

The UK’s top financial regulator has spent much of its eleven-year history in combat with the industry it oversees, a tone set by its first chief executive Martin Wheatley, whose zeal for fining banks got him ousted in 2015. Now, …

Bank of Spain Estimates Floods Cost 0.2% of GDP in 4th Quarter

Last month’s catastrophic floods in eastern Spain are likely to have a negative impact of 0.2 percentage points on the country’s gross domestic product in the fourth quarter, the Bank of Spain said on Wednesday. More than 200 people died …

US Faces Growing Crisis Over High Traffic Deaths, NTSB Chair Says

The United States must address a growing public-health crisis over traffic deaths that remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday. “Unlike most developed nations, U.S. roadways have grown more deadly …

US High Court Declines Appeal, Upholds Coverage Ruling on Treated Wood

Insurance carriers may want to examine policy language – and what information they request from insureds – after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court’s ruling which could force Argo Group to cover claims that a wood-treating company …

California Labor Commissioner Fines Hotel $10M for Worker Recall Law Violations

The Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina was fined $9.4 million by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office for violating the state’s worker recall law. The penalty is for the hotel’s reported failure to rehire 15 employees laid off during the pandemic. …

More Logging Proposed to Help Curb Wildfires in Pacific Northwest

U.S. officials would allow increased logging on federal lands across the Pacific Northwest in the name of fighting wildfires and boosting rural economies under proposed changes to a sweeping forest management plan that’s been in place for three decades. The …